Ash and May: Unova and Beyond
by Gameroffortune
Summary: Sequel to May, Ash, and the Return of Manaphy. Ash and May, now officially a couple, will continue their adventures through Unova and many other far-flung regions. Making friends and enemies alike, their love for their Pokémon, and for each other, will guide them. Rated T for some language and some suggestive stuff later on (nothing too graphic, though).
1. Chapter 1

**As promised, first chapter of new story delivered in a not-at-all-timely fashion. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

* * *

Chapter 1: New Friends, Old Foes

"May… May, wake up. We're here."

"Hmm?" the young Coordinator mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes, hearing the soft voice of her raven-haired lover. A quick look outside the small porthole window of their cabin confirmed Ash's words; they had arrived in Driftveil City. May smiled nervously. Sure, she had some anxiety, but she was excited nevertheless.

She glanced down at the blue Water-Type Pokémon sleeping in her lap. Beside her came a sleepy "Pikaaa…" as Pikachu woke up. The small Electric-Type happily leapt onto his trainer's shoulder as May picked up her own Pokémon.

"Manaphy, time to wake up," May said gently as the aquatic Pokémon opened his eyes and smiled up at his 'mother'.

"Mana, happy!" he cheered, lightly wrapping his arms around May's neck.

"The ferry will be docking any minute now, we'd better head up on deck," Ash suggested. Nodding, May followed him as he headed out. From the ship's deck, Ash waved at the two figures that could be seen waiting for them on the pier. After disembarking from the boat, May and Ash went over to greet the two; a tall, green-haired boy dressed like a waiter and a dark-skinned girl with long purple hair. She eyed May warily as they approached.

"Sorry I'm a little late. I kinda had an unexpected addition to my trip," Ash explained, scratching the back of his neck. "This is May, my fr- uh, actually, _girl_friend." _Man_, he thought, _that's gonna take some getting used to._

Then turning back to May: "This is Cilan and Iris," he introduced, gesturing towards his friends. May smiled nervously as she greeted them.

Cilan grinned and gave Ash a wink as he spoke up.

"Well Ash, I must say, yours appears to be a well-seasoned relationship. You're flavors complement each other nicely," he said.

Ash smiled and nodded, but May, slightly creeped-out by Cilan's odd choice of words, continued with what she was saying.

"… and this is Manaphy," May said, introducing the small Water-Type in her arms.

"Happy, phi happy!" Manaphy said cheerfully, waving.

"Uh, did it just… talk?" Iris asked.

"Yeah, I've been teaching him how to talk a little," May replied with a smile.

Iris was admittedly a bit impressed. She had assumed May was just another kid Ash had dragged along. But not only did she have a rare legendary Pokémon, she also taught it how to speak! In spite of herself, Iris was already starting to have a change of heart.

Suddenly, a small green Pokémon with a single horn and two tusks emerged from Iris's hair.

"A-xew! Xew!" it greeted May.

May smiled at the little Pokémon as she pulled out her Pokédex and scanned it.

_***Axew, the Tusk Pokémon. Axew marks its territory by making scratch marks on trees with its tusks, which regrow if they fall out.***_reported the Pokédex .

"Ahem… now that everyone's acquainted, we should hit the road," Cilan suggested. There were no words of protest, and Ash was especially anxious to get going. He and May would share their adventures together once again.

"To Mistralton!"

/-/-/

Unfortunately, the group didn't get very far. They hadn't been walking more than half an hour before they encountered some unexpected problems.

"Pikachu? Pikachu! What's wrong? Are you okay!?" Ash shouted, concerned for his companion as he fell over, seemingly exhausted.

"Piiikaaaa~" the little Electric-Type moaned, devoid of his usual electric charge.

"Ash, look! On Pikachu's back, a Joltik!" May said, pointing at the yellow Bug/Electric-Type latched onto Pikachu.

Ash and Oshawott attempted to pull the creature off of Pikachu, but succeeded only in earning a rather nasty shock from the Joltik. Seeing Pikachu's predicament, Iris and Cilan offered to help with their Emolga and Stunfisk - only to find that they too had fallen victim to the parasitic Joltiks, and were now drained of energy. They retreated to the nearest Pokémon Center, where May was introduced to another, uh, 'interesting' character.

"Outta the way!" shouted a blonde-haired girl as she frenziedly charged into the Pokémon Center, knocking Ash into a nearby fountain in the process.

"Ash!" May cried in alarm.

"Mana!" Manaphy added, equally alarmed. Taking Ash's arms, they hauled him out of the fountain.

"I'm fine," Ash said, wringing his hat out. "May, this is Bianca. Bianca, May."

"Hi! Nice to meet you!" Bianca greeted enthusiastically, forgetting her earlier frantic behavior.

May raised an eyebrow and shot a worried glance at Ash, who just shrugged and gave her a half-smile.

Just then, the power went out. Three large, yellow spider-like Pokémon could be seen outside the Pokémon Center as they walked past the window. Attempting to remain out of sight, the group quietly opened the door to get a better look. Ash quickly pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon, who appeared to be radiating electricity.

_***Galvantula, the EleSpider Pokémon and the evolved form of Joltik. Galvantula captures its enemies using its electrically-charged threads.***_the Pokédex recited.

"Hmmm, they must be the cause of the blackout," remarked Nurse Joy from behind them. "But these Galvantula usually get their energy from the electric charge in Chargestone Cave."

"Seems suspicious. I wonder if something's wrong?" May wondered aloud.

Suddenly, the Galvantula began to move back into the forest.

"Quick, follow them!" Ash shouted.

Maintaining a safe distance as they pursued the Galvantula, the group formed a plan to distract the Galvantula, using their Electric-Types, if they were confronted. They didn't get a chance to put the plan into action, though, as they were soon ambushed by a mob of Galvantula.

"We're surrounded! There's too many of them!" Bianca said in despair.

"Pika. Piiiika!" Pikachu growled at the advancing Bug/Electric Types.

Suddenly, the Galvantula all simultaneously fired a large pulse of electricity at our heroes, paralyzing them. Another pair reached in with their webs and grabbed Pikachu and Bianca's Minccino, and were about to make off with the Pokémon. Manaphy had just barely avoided the electric pulse, however, and had different plans. As the Galvantula withdrew their electrical attack, Manaphy jumped down in front of the group and held up one of his club-like arms.

"Phi!" he commanded, catching the Galvantula's attention.

"Manaphy? Be careful!" May called to her child in concern, knowing full well that he was at a Type disadvantage.

Smiling, Manaphy just turned back to her and winked. He knew what he was doing. Turning back to the Galvantula, Manaphy raised his antennae. They began to glow, and the Galvantula began to calm down, as it appeared that Manaphy was somehow soothing them.

"Manaphy must be using his Heart Swap ability!" May observed. "It lets him share insight into the thoughts and feelings of people and Pokémon with others."

"That's right! Just like back at the Sea Temple, when he sent your prayers for me into my mind," Ash remembered.

They watched in awe as the Galvantula, pacified by Manaphy's intervention, gathered around and released Minccino and Pikachu, who quickly scurried back to their respective trainers.

"You okay, buddy?" Ash asked as Pikachu leapt back onto his shoulder.

"Pi-ka!" the Mouse Pokémon confirmed.

"That was a close one…" Bianca said, returning her Minccino.

Meanwhile, Manaphy began questioning the Galvantula as to the source of their distress.

"Phi? Mana-mana?"

"Antula. Antul-galvant." the Galvantula responded.

"Maa-naa?"

"Vantula!"

With that, Manaphy jumped back into May's arms and pointed at what appeared to be the leader of the Galvantula, who was gesturing with its pedipalps.

"I think they want us to follow them," Cilan observed.

"Good job, Manaphy!" May complemented her Water-Type son.

"Happy!" he cheered as the group trailed the Galvantula.

/-/-/

Eventually, the Galvantula led the group to the opening of Chargestone Cave, which they found to be blocked off by a huge metal door. Outside, energy-deprived Joltik were lying on the ground, some of them unconscious. The Galvantula were trying to recharge them, but could do little as they were suffering from a lack of electricity as well.

"Pikachu, give them a jolt," Ash commanded.

Pikachu jumped down and began sharing electricity with the Joltik, reviving them. Bianca's Minccino and May's Munchlax, the latter having recently learned Thunderbolt, also lent a helping hand. Soon, the Joltik were active again.

"Well, that's one problem out of the way, at least for now. But we still need to figure out what's going on in there," Ash said, approaching the door to the cave. Everyone attempted to pry it open, to no avail.

"Wait, stop!" Iris said quickly. A faint rumbling could be heard from inside the cave, rapidly escalating in volume.

"Get back! Something's coming!" Iris shouted. Everyone backed away from the entrance just as the door began opening.

As the doors opened fully, a massive, grey truck rolled out and stopped. From an opening on top appeared an all-too-familiar trio, with the usual amount of theatrics.

"Team Rocket!"

"I guess some things never change," May sighed, holding the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"So it was _you_ who drove out the Joltik and Galvantula!" yelled Cilan.

"We did not. We just needed to 'borrow' some of these electrically-charged stones, and they were interfering with our little mining operation," James answered in a mock-defensive tone. And with that, the trio disappeared back into their truck as it revved up and began moving straight towards the group.

"Dwebble, come out!" Cilan yelled, releasing his Rock Inn Pokémon.

"Go, Excadrill! Use dig!" commanded Iris, sending out her Subterrene Pokémon. Excadrill quickly burrowed beneath the ground, causing Team Rocket's truck to fall into the hole.

At that moment, the swarm of Joltik and Galvantula released a combined electric beam which completely engulfed the truck. Their electricity reacted with the electrically-charged stones in the truck, causing it to be lifted high into the air. As the Pokémon withdrew the beam, the truck was sent crashing into the ground. Team Rocket bailed out at the last minute, landing in front of the 'twerps'.

"You're not getting away with this," Ash growled, each member of the group readying a Pokéball.

Jessie was about to respond, when she noticed Manaphy in May's arms. A look of recognition flashed across her face as she spoke.

"Hey, wait a minute. That Pokémon… that's the little blue brat from that trashy temple from a while back!"

"That's right! The one who gave us our little out-of-body experience!" James responded, remembering how Manaphy had used Heart Swap on the trio before even being born.

Then, with an evil grin, he continued: "Well, this certainly blows these lousy rocks right out of the water! He'll make an excellent addition to Team Rocket."

"Just wait 'til we show _dis_ ta da Boss!" Meowth added, pulling out another of the Team's odd gadgets; a rather unoriginal-looking cage with a robotic arm extending from the top. With the press of a button, the arm shot towards May, seizing Manaphy and dragging him from her arms before she could react.

"Mama! Mamaaaa!" Manaphy cried desperately, reaching his one free arm out towards May.

"Manaphy!" May shrieked in horror. Then, with fire in her eyes, she charged toward the Rocket trio.

If there is one single thing, one rule of nature that holds true for both humans and Pokémon, it's this: Never, ever, EVER come between a mother and her baby. But Team Rocket had decided to try their luck, a decision that would not end well for them.

"May, wait!" Ash called, running after her.

"Woobat, use Gust! Don't let the twerp interfere!" Jessie said, sending out her Woobat.

"You too, Yamask! Show them the uselessness of their actions! Use Night Shade!" yelled James, releasing his Spirit Pokémon.

The combined assault from both Pokémon was enough to hold the others at bay. May, however, threw herself towards the metal claw holding Manaphy and grabbed onto it, preventing herself from being blown away by Woobat's Gust. Pulling herself along, May inched closer and closer to the Rockets.

"Pikachu, we gotta help May! Quick, use Thunderbolt on Yamask!" Ash shouted.

"You too, Minccino! Swift, now!" Bianca called.

Now with a combo of their own, the Electric and Normal Types sent Yamask flying. But Woobat was still presenting a hindrance.

"C'mon Dwebble, you can do it!" Cilan encouraged his Pokémon, who was just barely staying on its feet in the face of the Gust attack. But hearing its trainer's words, and with a look of determination, the Bug/Rock Type steadily began advancing. Within seconds, Dwebble became enveloped in a bluish-white light.

"Yes! Dwebble's evolving!" Cilan cheered.

A moment later, the newly-evolved Crustle stood where Dwebble had been. In place of his shell was a massive boulder, one not so easily slowed by a Gust attack. Before Cilan could command it, Crustle fired a powerful Rock Wrecker attack at Woobat, knocking it out instantly.

At that moment, May finally reached the cage part of Team Rocket's device, where Manaphy was still held in the metal claw's death grip. Abandoning the task at hand, Jessie and James each took hold of the contraption, trying to retain their hostage.

But May would have none of it. With one powerful tug on the mechanical arm, the Rocket trio was yanked off their feet.

May gave another furious pull, causing the arm to extend to near-full length. Then, using every last bit of her adrenaline-fueled strength, she began tearing off the robotic hand's fingers. She freed Manaphy from the machine's grip, and the little Water-Type, still sobbing, clung to her side in terror. Then, May turned her furious gaze toward the Rockets, who were trembling at the sight of her wrath. The rest of the group, including the Pokémon, stared in awe at the scene before them.

With one brutally swift movement, May drew the claw-and-arm device back like a baseball bat, and swung it with full force at the terrified Rocket trio. With a loud, painful-sounding metallic crash, Jessie, James, and Meowth were sent flying over the treetops.

"Team Rocket blasting off again!" the three shouted, vanishing in the distance.

Immediately, May dropped the device and sat down to console Manaphy, still crying and shaking.

"Sshhh, Manaphy. Sshhh. It's okay, honey, It's okay. Don't cry sweetie, mama's here," May said soothingly, rocking Manaphy in her arms.

Meanwhile, Ash and the others were staring, mouths agape, at the display of motherly rage they had just witnessed. Only one thought was on each of their minds.

_Holy_.

_Crap_.

"Well Ash, looks like you've got another incentive to treat May right," Cilan muttered.

Ash gulped, shuddering slightly at the thought of his fate should he do something stupid like forgetting their anniversary or, God _forbid_, her birthday.

Finally, May was able to calm Manaphy down. The Seafaring Pokémon looked up at her, then nuzzled into her chest.

"Love you, mama," he said, hugging her tightly.

May wiped tears from her eyes. If those jerks ever lay a finger on her Manaphy again, she would make sure they wouldn't live to regret it.

They departed a few minutes later for Professor Juniper's camp, which was set up somewhere around the cave. Bianca led the way, prattling on about how she was going to trade her Shelmet for the Professor's Karrablast, thereby evolving both of them, so on and so forth. Ash and May lagged behind a bit, preferring to have a little space for themselves.

Ash smiled guiltily at May before speaking.

"Heh, I should mentioned those guys were still after me."

"Honestly, I kind of expected it," May replied. "They're just the type who are either too stupid or too stubborn to know when to quit."

Then, Ash's expression turned serious.

"Listen, May, if you're worried about Manaphy… if you think it'll be too risky… you don't have to stay…"

Suddenly, he was cut off as May's lips wrapped around his own. They stopped walking, choosing instead to share their passionate moment.

"Ash, what did I tell you back in Castelia?" May asked a moment later, pulling out of the kiss. "Didn't I tell you I would be right here, right by your side, no matter what? We can face these things together. It's not like our first journey together was easy. I never expected this one to be, either."

"I know, but with Manaphy and all…" Ash started, before being cut off again, this time by Manaphy.

"Phi! Manaphy stay! Manaphy want papa, too!" the Water-Type insisted, not the least bit discouraged by his earlier ordeal. As long as he was with his mama and papa, he knew he was safe.

"Well, Ashy-boy, it seems your concerns have been overruled," May giggled, hugging Manaphy closely.

Ash grinned, pulling his girlfriend and his Pokémon 'child' into another embrace. It was the greatest feeling in the world, having May back. And this time, it was for real.

This time, she was here to stay.

* * *

**Sorry about the long wait, guys. I got preoccupied with some other stuff and started procrastinating and just… yeah.**

**I'll admit, I'm not quite sure where to take the story from here. I've got a few ideas, but I don't really want to mirror the anime. At the same time, I do want to base it around the anime (with some elements from the games) so I have a clear reference for events and a time frame around which to work. Your ideas, comments, and suggestions are always appreciated. They're encouraged, in fact, so please leave them if you want. I will do my best not to take forever getting the next chapter up. Until then, buh-bye! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

* * *

Chapter 2: Evolution Confusion

"Finally! Time to trade Pokémon!" Bianca cheered excitedly. The group had arrived at Professor Juniper's camp, and it seemed that Bianca's enthusiasm was contagious; everyone was excited to see this 'evolution exchange'.

"I gotta say, it is pretty exciting. I can't wait to see Karrablast and Shelmet evolve!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"Same here. I don't think I've ever seen Pokémon that need to be traded with each other for both to evolve," remarked May. "This should really be something to see!"

Just then, Professor Juniper emerged from her tent and started towards the group.

"Hello, everyone! Nice to see you made it here so quickly." she greeted, smiling. "Then again, I'm sure Bianca wasn't about to allow any delays." she added, noticing Bianca seemed ready to jump out of her skin from excitement.

Then, noticing May, "Oh? I see we've got a new arrival."

Ash nodded. "Professor, I'd like you to meet May," he introduced.

"Pleased to meet you," May said, smiling.

"Any friend of Ash's is a friend of mine," Professor Juniper replied, returning the smile.

"Oooh, can we trade now!?" Bianca blurted out.

Laughing, Professor Juniper nodded and led the group towards her tent.

"For Bianca's sake, we better not wait another minute!" she remarked, giggling.

Inside the tent, the Professor revealed her Pokémon Trade Machine.

"I brought it here to study the effects Chargestone Cave might have on evolution," she explained. "Although, we were having some trouble with the equipment a little while ago. There was irregular activity from the cave causing interference."

"Team Rocket was causing the disturbance," Ash responded darkly. "They were trying to steal some stones from the cave, and they displaced the Joltik and Galvantula living there."

"We were able to put a stop to it, though, thanks to May," he finished, putting his arm around his girlfriend.

"Mama save Manaphy. Mama help friends!" Manaphy cheered, clinging loosely to May's neck from behind.

"I can't take all the credit. I was just doing what I had to do to protect Manaphy," May said, blushing.

"Now, before we actually trade," the Professor continued, "I need to collect some pre-evolution data, since I'm doing this for research purposes after all. A battle would certainly accomplish that."

"Sounds good! Let's do it!" Bianca agreed.

Outside, Professor Juniper and Bianca each readied their Poké Balls. Cilan, being chosen as the judge, stepped forward.

"The one-on-one battle between Professor Juniper and Bianca is about to begin. The battle is over when one Pokémon is unable to continue. Let's get things started!" he announced.

"Alright! Shelmet, come on out!" Bianca shouted, throwing her ball. From the ball emerged a Pokémon resembling a bivalve with a grey, armor-like shell that formed a spiral on its back. It opened its shell and peeked out, revealing its pink body and puckered-up mouth.

"Shelmet?" it muttered uncertainly.

"Aww, it's kinda cute!" May smiled, scanning the Pokémon with her Pokédex.

_***Shelmet, the Snail Pokémon. Shelmet closes its shell to protect itself from attacks. It also produces and spits out a poisonous, sticky liquid.***_

Noticing Shelmet's insecurity, a certain Dragon-Type decided to be funny.

Tiptoeing up to Shelmet, Axew roared and made an intimidating face.

"Xew!" the green Tusk Pokémon roared.

"Met!" Shelmet cried in fright. He proceeded to clamp his shell down as tightly as possible and refused to move.

"Oh no, Shelmet!" Bianca exclaimed, concerned.

"Axew, that wasn't nice!" Iris scolded as she walked over to retrieve Axew. "I'm so sorry, Shelmet." she apologized to the Snail Pokémon.

"Is Shelmet gonna be alright?" May asked.

"Well, he can be a little easy to startle sometimes…" Bianca admitted. "But I'm sure he'll do just fine!" she added, her optimism returning.

Making her move, Professor Juniper threw her own Ball.

"Go, Karrablast!"

On the field appeared a round, bluish Pokémon with a black face, fanged mouth, yellow eyes, a single horn on its head, and four stubby black limbs.

"Karrablast!" it roared, frightening poor Shelmet and causing it to jump back and once again retreat into its shell.

Ash immediately scanned the new Pokémon with his Pokédex.

_***Karrablast, the Clamping Pokémon. Karrablast live in forests and fields, and often hide in trees or grass when threatened. They can also defend themselves by spitting acid.***_

"Sounds pretty tough." Ash remarked.

"Let's hope Shelmet can handle it." May added, earning a nod of agreement from Pikachu and Manaphy.

"Let the battle begin!" Cilan shouted.

"Bianca, you can go first." Professor Juniper said.

"Alright! Shelmet, use…" Bianca faltered, noticing Shelmet was unresponsive.

"…Shelmet?" she asked.

The Bug-Type was still cowering in its shell, unwilling to face Karrablast.

"Shel-met." it mumbled, refusing to come out.

"Uhh, on second thought, why don't _you_ start us off, Professor?" Bianca said, laughing nervously.

"Well, alright then. Karrablast, use Peck!" the Professor commanded.

"Karra, Karra!" shouted Karrablast, its horn beginning to glow as it raced towards Shelmet.

"Shelmet, use Protect, quick!" Bianca countered.

"She-el-met!" Shelmet replied, projecting a spherical shield around itself, despite still not coming out of its shell. Karrablast smashed into the shield with full force, seeming to not affect Shelmet at all.

"Karra?" Karrablast asked, confused.

"Karra. Karra! Karra-karra-karra-karra-karra-!" Karrablast shouted, attacking Shelmet's shield repeatedly to no avail.

"Wow! Karrablast is hammering him, but Shelmet is really holding on!" Iris said, amazed at Shelmet's endurance in the face of Karrablast's relentless barrage.

"What he lacks in courage, he more than makes up for in Defense." May summarized.

"Karrablast, use Take Down!" Professor Juniper called, changing strategies.

"Karra-BLAST!" Karrablast roared, becoming enveloped in a yellow light as he charged towards Shelmet.

"Shelmet, use Protect again!" Bianca ordered.

Shelmet projected his shield once more. As Karrablast slammed into the shield, however, it looked as though Shelmet might yield. The Take Down attack was strong enough to push Shelmet back a few meters, but once again leaving Shelmet unharmed.

"Shelmet?" asked the Pokémon, peeking out of its shell for the first time since the battle started.

"Bianca, you need to go on the offensive!" Ash shouted.

"I know, but my little Shelmet is so shy." Bianca replied.

"Then I'll just have to keep attacking…" Professor Juniper started, only to be interrupted.

"What's going on!? Professor, we've got a problem over here!" called on of Professor Juniper's assistants. The equipment he was working with had electrical currents emanating from it.

"You better check this out!" shouted another assistant.

"This battle is on time-out!" announced Cilan, effectively ending the battle as the group crowded around the equipment to see what the problem was.

"We're getting some bizarre electrical readings, most of them coming from the cave." the assistant explained.

"Oh no." Professor Juniper breathed, looking worriedly in the direction of the cave.

Back in Professor Juniper's tent, it was revealed that the Trade Machine was being affected by the electrical anomaly as well.

"If this keeps up, we might not be able to go through with the trade." the Professor sighed.

"NOOOO!" Bianca shrieked, starting to freak out. "What am I gonna do, what am I gonna do, what am I gonna do…!?"

"Bianca, calm down. This isn't helping." May said sternly.

"Ma-na!" Manaphy agreed.

"Really, Bianca, you're getting too worked up over this. I'm sure this isn't anything that can't be fixed." added Iris.

"I… I guess you guys are right." Bianca said, calming down a bit. "But we _need_ to find out what the problem is!"

"I wonder… could it be Team Rocket? They might be back." Ash suggested.

"If it is, we can surely deal with them again." replied Cilan.

"Let's not jump to conclusions." Professor Juniper said. "We can't be sure it's Team Rocket yet. Nevertheless, we should investigate."

/-/-/

"What in the world could be causing this?" Professor Juniper wondered. Beside her, an assistant held a device to detect the source of the disturbance and was pointing it into the cave entrance. Coming from somewhere inside the cave, a deep voice could be heard echoing loudly from the darkness.

"We've been hearing that for quite a while now." another assistant remarked.

"Wha… what could that be?" Bianca asked, cowering behind Cilan.

"Maa-naaa…" worried Manaphy, shivering.

"Well, I guess we're gonna find out!" Ash declared.

"Pi-ka-chu!" Pikachu agreed determinedly. The group proceeded into the cave, with Professor Juniper leading the way.

As the group continued, the deep voice from earlier was heard again, but louder.

"It's coming from over there." pointed out an assistant.

"Look! What are those?" Ash exclaimed, causing everyone to turn and look at the strange sight before them.

Floating in midair were what appeared to be metal gears. They were in separate interlocking pairs and were turning on their own.

"Klink. Kli-klink klink klink…" they droned. Ash quickly consulted the Pokédex.

_***Klink, the Gear Pokémon. In order for Klink to survive, it produces energy by spinning its twin, interlocking bodies.***_

But the Klink were not responsible for the sound; they all appeared perfectly healthy.

"This way. It must be farther, up ahead." Professor Juniper said as the group continued deeper into the cave.

"There. It's coming from that Klinklang." she said, pointing towards another, larger gear-like Pokémon resting on a rock. Unlike the Klink, its gears appeared to be jammed. Ash stepped forward to check the Pokédex again.

_***Klinklang, the Gear Pokémon and the final evolved form of Klink. Klinklang uses its spikes to fire charged energy into its environment, using its red core as an energy tank.***_

As if to demonstrate the Pokédex's entry, the Klinklang immediately charged up an energy bolt and shot it straight towards the young trainer.

"Ash, no!" May cried. She dove at Ash and tackled him to the ground, dodging the energy shot by inches. The two half-dragged each other into cover behind a large rock, with Pikachu and Manaphy holding on to their trainers for dear life.

"Something's wrong with Klinklang!" Cilan warned, dodging another energy bolt.

Despite the salvo of electricity being fired by Klinklang, Professor Juniper was able to approach the agitated Pokémon with a small device in her hands. She turned the crank on the machine while aiming it at Klinklang, which seemed to calm it down. She explained that the machine emits sound waves that the Pokémon respond well to.

Finally, Klinklang calmed down enough for the Professor to safely remove the object jamming its gears.

"A… pen?" May asked, perplexed.

"Now where could that have come from?" Iris wondered.

"Sure doesn't look like Team Rocket's handiwork." Ash commented.

Klinklang was behaving normally again, though something did seem to be bothering Professor Juniper when one of her assistants reported that they weren't picking up any signs of any other people in the area. Nevertheless, the electrical disturbance was fixed, and the group exited the cave, eager to get back to the trade.

/-/-/

Back in Professor Juniper's tent, the Poké Balls of both Karrablast and Shelmet were placed in the trade machine as it was started up. The trade took a few moments, and when it was complete, Professor Juniper handed Bianca the ball containing what would become her new Escavalier.

"Finally! Thank you so much!" Bianca excitedly thanked Professor Juniper.

Back outside, both Pokémon were released to allow them to evolve. Professor Juniper went first, calling out Shelmet. As soon as it appeared, Shelmet instantly changed form. In its place stood a Pokémon with a large, pink, helmet-like head and a body wrapped in what looked like bluish-grey cloth.

"Accelgor!" it announced as Bianca scanned it with her Pokédex.

_***Accelgor, the Shell Out Pokémon and the evolved form of Shelmet. Accelgor has become much more agile since its shell was removed, allowing it to move like a ninja when battling.***_

Bianca then released Karrablast, who was immediately replaced by a Pokémon resembling a Karrablast dressed in Shelmet's armor. Its grey helmet had a red crest on top, and its lower body was encased in more grey armor, ending in a spiral. Its arms were replaced by sharp, red-striped lances.

"Escavalier!" it exclaimed, punctuating its speech by jabbing the air with its lances.

"Whoa!" Ash admired, consulting the Pokédex.

_***Escavalier, the Cavalry Pokémon and the evolved form of Karrablast. Escavalier's body is protected by steel armor.***_

Bianca went over to greet the newly-evolved Pokémon, but unfortunately, Escavalier wasn't in a talking mood and began angrily chasing her, swinging and jabbing with its lances.

"Help! HELP! Make him stop!" Bianca shrieked as she was chased back and forth. The rest of the group was torn between being concerned, and being slightly amused. Fortunately, Professor Juniper stepped in and ordered Accelgor to use Substitute. This distracted Escavalier long enough for Bianca to return it to its Poké Ball. She looked to Professor Juniper, a bewildered expression on her face.

"Why is Escavalier so angry?" she asked.

"Well, Escavalier is still Karrablast on the inside, meaning it still has Karrablast's aggressive personality." the Professor explained.

"Well, Escavalier's aggression is sure to make for a far more flavorful battle than Shelmet's timidness." Cilan offered.

"Not if Bianca can't handle Escavalier." countered Iris.

"I'm sure that isn't true. Not every trainer gets off to a good start with their Pokémon." May replied. Ash agreed, remembering how he and Pikachu had gotten off to a somewhat shaky start, despite now being inseparable.

"There must be something we can do!" Bianca said worriedly.

"Well, how about a Tag Battle?" Professor Juniper suggested. "That would surely help Escavalier burn off its energy and aggression a bit." Then, turning to the rest of the group: "Ash, would you do the honor of being our opponent?"

"My pleasure." Ash replied, grinning. "And May, would you do the honor of being my partner?"

May stepped up beside Ash and took his hand, smiling.

"You know it. Just like old times." she responded. She turned and nodded to Manaphy, who returned the nod and jumped off to wait on the sidelines. The couple took their position on the battlefield as Cilan again took on the role of judge.

"The Tag Battle between Professor Juniper and Bianca against Ash and May is about to commence." Cilan announced. "Each trainer will use one Pokémon, and the battle is over once both Pokémon on a team are unable to continue. Alright, let the battle begin!"

"Boldore, I choose you!" Ash called, releasing his Ore Pokémon.

"Glaceon, take the stage!" May commanded, calling out her Fresh Snow Pokémon.

"Accelgor, come out!" Professor Juniper shouted, bringing her new Bug-Type out.

"Go, Escavalier!" Bianca ordered, though still feeling a bit unsure, especially as the Cavalry Pokémon turned and glared at her as it emerged from its ball.

"Boldore, use Rock Smash!" Ash ordered quickly, trying to get the upper hand right away. The attack landed a hit on both Escavalier and Accelgor, throwing them back.

"Glaceon, Ice Shard!" May followed up. Glaceon opened her mouth and fired countless shards of ice at the two Bug-Type opponents.

"Dodge it and use Quick Attack!" Professor Juniper ordered Accelgor. Accelgor complied, moving in close and scoring a hit on Glaceon with Quick Attack, though Escavalier had been hit by the Ice Shard attack.

"C'mon Bianca, attack!" Iris shouted from the sidelines.

"Uhh… ummm… Escavalier…?" Bianca stuttered, unsure of what to do. Deciding to take the initiative itself, Escavalier took off towards its opponents without orders. Unfortunately, it wasn't battling very effectively on its own, though the rest of the group was impressed, thinking Bianca was commanding it.

"Nice one, Bianca!" Iris cheered. "You and Escavalier make a great team!"

"Uh, well, not exactly." Bianca admitted. "I haven't given Escavalier any commands yet. It's sure harder to deal with than my little Shelmet…"

"We'd better focus on Escavalier first." Ash suggested.

"Agreed. Glaceon, Shadow Ball!" May commanded. Glaceon obeyed, forming a shadowy ball and sending it at Ecavalier, who was still trying to do things on its own and was making another charge at the opposing Pokémon. It dodged the Shadow Ball with ease, not even slowing down.

"Boldore, Rock Blast! Quick!" Ash hurriedly instructed. Boldore quickly fired off several sheets of rock, landing numerous direct hits on Escavalier, throwing it back again.

"Escavalier!" Bianca cried out in concern as Escavalier was sent sliding back on the ground. Thinking quickly, Professor Juniper had Accelgor use Substitute, protecting Escavalier from further damage. Realizing the trick, Ash and May began looking around warily for the real Accelgor.

"Great going, Accelgor!" Iris cheered the Shell Out Pokémon on.

Escavalier, seemingly surprised by Accelgor's intervention, began looking around quickly as Accelgor came limping up beside him. Unfortunately, things weren't looking too good for Accelgor, the Substitute attack having drained it considerably.

"A… Acce… celgor…" it stuttered, struggling to stay on its feet.

"One more hit like that, and it's over for Accelgor!" Iris warned.

"Pi-kaaa!" Pikachu cheered, clearly rooting for Ash and May.

"Mana!" Manaphy agreed, offering his own support.

"Boldore, Flash Cannon! Go!" Ash ordered, hoping to take advantage of Accelgor's vulnerability. Boldore charged up the attack before firing a massive beam of light at Accelgor. At that moment, however, Escavalier leapt in front of its weakened comrade and criss-crossed its lances, managing to block the Flash Cannon.

"Glaceon, Ice Shard on Escavalier!" May commanded as her Ice-Type fired another barrage of sharp icicles at the armored Bug-Type.

"Escavalier, please! Use Iron Defense!" Bianca shouted, half-pleadingly. Escavalier, finally deciding to acknowledge its new trainer, obeyed and encased its body in a pale bluish glow, easily repelling the Ice-Type attack directed towards it.

"Yes! Escavalier is finally listening to me!" Bianca cheered.

"Accelgor, let's get you fixed up! Use Recover!" Professor Juniper commanded. Accelgor became surrounded in a pulsating red light. When it faded, Accelgor looked up, far more energized than it was only seconds before.

"A-ccelgor!" it roared, rejuvenated.

"Crap!" Ash growled in frustration.

"We almost beat him, too!" May groaned.

"Alright Bianca, time for a counterattack!" Professor Juniper instructed. She quickly ordered Accelgor to perform a Quick Attack as Bianca ordered a Fury Attack from Escavalier. Ash and May, caught off-guard by the impressive speed of their opponents' Pokémon, were unable to react as both attacks connected with their intended targets, knocking them back in a heap.

"Quick, before they recover, we'll combine Hyper Beams and take them both out at once!" Professor Juniper said quickly to Bianca.

"Now, double Hyper Beam!" they shouted in unison as their respective Pokémon each fired a stream of white light, which then merged and formed one massive beam.

"Glaceon, get in front of Boldore and use Protect!" May ordered. Glaceon obediently jumped in front of Boldore before projecting a circular green shield, protecting both of them from damage.

Not wasting a second, May immediately issued her next order.

"Glaceon, use Iron Tail on Escavalier!"

Her Fresh Snow Pokémon nodded in acknowledgement before rushing forward and striking the Bug/Steel-Type with her tail. A brief blue outline ran down Escavalier's body, indicating that its Defense had been lowered.

Noticing this, Ash was quick to take advantage of the situation.

"Now, Boldore! Use Stone Edge on Escavalier!" Ash commanded. The Ore Pokémon obediently summoned several glowing rocks before launching them at the opposing Cavalry Pokémon.

Faced with a Type disadvantage on both fronts, and suffering from its Defense being lowered, the Bug/Steel-Type Cavalry Pokémon finally fell to the Rock-Type attack.

"Escavalier is unable to continue!" Cilan announced.

"Escavalier, return," Bianca said, recalling her Pokémon. "You did a great job out there."

"Es-cava," Escavalier replied weakly, but with a slight smile as it returned to its Pokéball.

Meanwhile, Ash and May grinned at each other as they now had the advantage.

"One down, one to go," Ash said.

"Two against one? Hardly seems fair. Why don't I even the odds a bit?" Professor Juniper said with a devious smile. "Accelgor, use Substitute!"

With that, a clone of the Shell Out Pokémon appeared next to the real Accelgor as Professor Juniper made her next move.

"Use Quick Attack!"

Both Accelgors charged forward in a flurry of motion, leaving little time for Ash and May to figure out which Accelgor was the real one.

"Boldore, counter with Rock Blast!" Ash yelled. Targeting the nearest Accelgor, Boldore let loose with a burst of stone slabs. The attack caused its target to vanish in a puff of smoke, revealing it to be the copy.

"May, heads up!" Ash called to his girlfriend. May, however, was on it already.

"Glaceon, use Double Team!"

Moving too swiftly for Accelgor to follow, Glaceon dodged away from the approaching Pokémon and took up position nearby as her trainer prepared to use the move that she'd been saving for last.

"Now use Frost Breath!"

Accelgor was caught off-guard by the frigid blast of air blown by its opponent. The attack landed a critical hit, knocking Accelgor out and finally bringing the battle to a conclusion.

"Accelgor is unable to continue!" Cilan announced. "The winners are Ash and May!"

"We did it!" May cheered as she and Ash embraced one another.

"Phi! Mama and papa win!" Manaphy cheered excitedly, leaping back into May's arms. May smiled at the little Water-Type's enthusiasm.

"Well, Manaphy, next time I think I'll let you help," May assured her child with a grin. "We need to start training you up!"

"Manaphy help mama win!" Manaphy cried happily, excited by the prospect of participating in a battle.

Ash laughed as he patted Manaphy on the head.

"Hey, don't forget about papa! He could always use a hand, too!" Ash chuckled as the little Seafaring Pokémon smiled up at him.

/-/-/

Seeming to have finally bonded with Escavalier, Bianca said her good-byes as she prepared to depart from the group and head on her way.

"May, it was really great meeting you! And your adorable little Manaphy too, of course!" she smiled, petting Manaphy's head, much to his enjoyment.

"It was great getting to know you too, Bianca. I look forward to seeing you around some more," May replied.

"Same here. Well, gotta run! I'll see you guys later!" Bianca called back, skipping off cheerfully as the group waved.

"So May, what did you think of her?" Ash asked, turning to May with a grin.

"I'll say this much: she certainly made my first day with you guys an interesting one," May answered, eliciting a laugh from the group.

Suddenly, from the entrance of the cave behind the group, an older man with light grayish-brown hair and a beard stumbled out of the cave, seemingly exhausted, before fainting. The group looked over in concern as Professor Juniper rushed over to help him, recognizing him at once.

It was her father, Cedric Juniper.

* * *

**I really need to stop getting distracted. There's no excuse for this.**

**Stupidly long waiting time aside, I hope you guys enjoyed! Again, a bit of an unoriginal chapter, as I'm kinda getting writer's block. Things will get more interesting, I promise. Until next time, sayonara!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Ruckus in the Ruins

"Feeling better?"

Nodding, Cedric Juniper finished the food in his mouth before replying to his daughter.

"Much better."

After having fainted outside Chargestone Cave, Cedric was helped into Professor Juniper's tent by the group. After resting a bit and getting some food in his stomach, Cedric had formally introduced himself to the group.

"So you're Professor Juniper's father?" Ash inquired.

"Indeed I am. I'm also a Pokémon researcher. I specialize in Legendary Pokémon, including Reshiram, Zekrom… and your Manaphy." Cedric responded, glancing at the Pokémon in May's arms. "It's amazing you managed to catch one. They're so rare, and I've never even seen one in person before!" he continued, marveling at the Legendary Water-Type.

"Well… it's kind of a long story." May replied sheepishly.

"So anyway, what brings you to these parts?" Professor Juniper asked.

"My research, of course! Some fascinating ruins were recently discovered around here, and there's evidence to suggest that it links to Zekrom and the Hero's Legend!" Cedric replied excitedly.

"Zekrom? Hero's Legend?" May asked.

"Ah, you must be new to the region." Cedric guessed. "Zekrom is a Legendary Pokémon that is said to aid someone who wants to build a world of ideals. According to the legend, Zekrom will descend and lend its power to the Hero who turns darkness into light."

"Wow…" Ash marveled at the thought of maybe seeing Zekrom. "Could we come with you?"

"I don't think…" Cedric began, causing everyone to moan in disappointment.

"…there's any reason you shouldn't." he finished, causing everyone to raise an eyebrow.

"My father gets a little distracted and forgets to finish his sentences sometimes." Professor Juniper explained.

"So… you're saying we can go with you?" May asked.

"Absolutely!" Cedric replied happily, eliciting a cheer from everyone. "We'd better get going. If we're lucky, maybe we'll even get a chance to catch a glimpse of Zekrom itself while we're there!"

Excited by the prospect of actually seeing the legendary Dragon/Electric-Type Pokémon, the group said their goodbyes to Professor Juniper and followed Cedric as they set off on their next adventure.

/-/-/

After hours of hiking through the woods and caves, the group set up camp for the night in the forest. Using the ingredients he brought with him, Cilan was able to prepare a simple yet delicious meal for everyone. He even prepared some special Pokémon food for Axew and Pikachu, but became rather indignant when Pikachu showed more interest in a ketchup bottle than in his food.

For May, having such a talented chef with them was rather nostalgic, as Cilan reminded her of Brock in that respect. She thought about all the good times the group had on their adventures, and couldn't help but wonder where they were now. Heck, she hadn't even heard from her own brother, Max, for quite a while. Then again, he was probably busy, having started his own journey as a trainer not long ago. She reflected on these thoughts as she sat in front of the campfire, absent-mindedly stroking Manaphy's head as he munched on a Poffin.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, May?" Ash asked her, jarring May out of her reverie.

"Oh, just thinking about the 'good old days'. Y'know, our first journey together." May replied with a smile.

Ash nodded and smiled as well, recalling those fond memories and how they were the beginning of their life together.

"I wonder how the others are. Brock stayed in Kanto to study to become a Pokémon doctor, but what about Max?" Ash asked.

"He started his own journey as a trainer a few months ago," May replied.

"Really?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. "I wonder how he'll react when he finds out about us being together now."

"For Arceus' sake, Ash, he thinks the world of you!" May laughed. "You should've heard him when first called to tell me about his journey; he wouldn't stop talking about how much he was looking forward to battling you and showing you his progress. He'll probably think it's the coolest thing ever!"

"You're right," Ash replied, smiling. "I don't need to worry about him. Your father, on the other hand, is a different story."

"Ugh, will you stop being so paranoid?" May groaned, giving Ash a playful shove. "I can't see my dad having a problem with this. He thinks you're a great guy, really. Besides, given the choice, I'm sure he'd rather have me be with you than with Drew."

"Can't argue with that," Ash replied with a grin.

"Besides," May continued, "I'm sure mom and dad wouldn't object to having grandchildren."

At that, Ash's eyes widened and his face turned beet red.

"Uh… May… you think it's maybe… a little too soon to be thinking about that?" he stammered.

May rolled her eyes and gave Ash another shove as she replied.

"Ash, I was talking about Manaphy." she clarified, nodding to their Pokémon child snuggled in her arms. Ash breathed a sigh of relief, laughing nervously.

"Although…" May added in a seductive tone as she leaned closer to Ash, "…eventually, Manaphy might want a little brother or sister."

Ash grinned as he leaned over and pressed his lips to May's.

"Eventually." he replied with a wink.

/-/-/

The next morning, the group arrived at the entrance to the ruins and proceeded inside. Cedric warned them to be cautious of possible traps, though, which put them on edge a bit.

Presently, the group arrived at what appeared to be a dead end; a stone wall with strange writing on it.

"Look, there's something in the wall!" Iris pointed out. The group approached and examined what seemed to be a small Venipede statue set in an indent in the wall. Next to it was an ancient inscription in an odd language.

"It's the first trap." Cedric warned. He took out a small book and began translating the inscription as the others examined the statue.

"Alright," Cedric began, "The text says that turning the statue to the left…"

"Like this?" Cilan asked, turning the statue.

"…is not a good idea!" Cedric finished. But it was too late as the wall slid down, revealing a massive boulder which began to roll towards the group.

"CRAP!" Ash exclaimed as the group began to run.

"PIKA!" Pikachu agreed. Fortunately, Cilan's Pansage used Dig, creating a hole in the floor and providing an escape as the boulder just barely missed the group.

"Ungh! Next time, could we maybe try letting the Professor finish his sentence before we do anything?" May remarked angrily, earning an agreement from everyone.

Proceeding, the group came to a deep chasm with two wooden bridges.

"One of them must be a trap," Ash commented. "Which one is it, Professor?"

"Let's see," Cedric began, consulting his book, "Crossing the bridge on the right side is wrong…"

Yet again failing to wait, Ash and Cilan moved on to the left bridge… only to have it collapse beneath them.

"…and the bridge on the left is wrong as well." Cedric finished, much to the chagrin of Ash and Cilan as they held on to the remains of the bridge while May and Iris helped pull them up.

"Did we not discuss this?" May asked the two, annoyed by their lack of patience.

"Mana! Mana-mana! Phi!" Manaphy agreed from May's shoulder, crossing his arms.

"Okay, okay." Ash sighed, holding his hands up. "We'll try to be more patient."

Fortunately, Axew had already discovered an alternate path to allow the group to continue. Following it, they arrived in front of three cave entrances, painted to resemble Golett, Darumaka, and Krokorok.

"Any clues this time?" Iris asked Cedric.

"Not here." he replied.

"Well, let's try the Darumaka cave." Ash suggested.

The group entered the Darumaka cave, but only made it a few steps before walls of fire erupted from the ground around them, trapping them.

"Crap, it was a trap!" Ash yelled, stumbling away from the fire.

"Manaphy, use Water Gun, quick!" May shouted. The legendary Water-Type jumped down from his perch and used the move, dousing the flames blocking the path from which they came.

"Okay, how about the Krokorok cave?" Ash said after the group had retreated from the Darumaka cave. There were no words of protest.

Unfortunately, this cave turned out to be a trap as well. This became apparent when the walls began moving and closing in on the group, and only Iris's Excadrill holding the walls saved them as they fled.

"Well, the Golett cave must be it." Ash said.

"Of course. I knew that the whole time." Cedric revealed, causing everyone to minorly freak out.

"And you didn't tell us?!" Cilan exclaimed.

"That's doing things the easy way. Where's the fun in that?" Cedric asked, laughing.

"Well, it was pretty fun." Ash grinned, causing May and Iris to stare at him in disbelief.

"Ash, I'm not sure 'fun' is the right word." May replied as both she and Manaphy exchanged glances with sweat drops on their foreheads.

"I gotta agree with May." Iris added.

Continuing ahead, the group arrived in a hallway lined with several Egyptian-style sarcophagi. As they moved on to the next area, the group didn't notice one of the coffins slide away from the wall. After passing through a large revolving door, which was surprisingly not a trap, the group found themselves inside a cavernous room with stairs leading to a lower level.

"Look, down there," Iris called, pointing towards the center of the room's lower level. There was a circular area surrounded by blue crystals.

"These crystals have been present in other ruins I've explored," Cedric began. "It's likely this is where the Hero and Zekrom made contact!"

The others were amazed to hear this. Suddenly, Pikachu got their attention.

"Pika-pi!" called the Electric-Type, pointing at a round glowing object embedded in the floor.

"What is that?" Ash wondered aloud as he bent down to examine it, only to be quickly yanked back by Cedric.

"Careful!" he warned. "If I'm not mistaken, that's the Golden Dark Stone. It was used to contact Zekrom, so it's liable to be booby-trapped. Because of its importance, its traps are certain to be far, far deadlier than the ones we've encountered already."

Ash and Pikachu gulped nervously, imagining the gruesome result of getting caught in whatever traps were rigged to the stone.

Deciding that they had come far enough, the group turned around to head back. Suddenly, a colorful, winged Pokémon with a round body and a third eye protruding from the top of its head swooped down from the opening at the top of the chamber and headed towards the group. Ash was quick to pull out his Pokédex and scan the creature.

_***Sigilyph, the Avianoid Pokémon. Sigilyph keeps enemies from invading its territory with its Psychic powers and was the guardian of cities long ago.***_

The Sigilyph then fired a powerful Psybeam attack at the group, knocking them back. Ash recovered first and was quick to react.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded. The yellow Mouse Pokémon obeyed, but missed as Sigilyph was quick to dodge the incoming Electric-Type attack. The Psychic-Type responded by using Mirror Move, which gave the group a painful shock. It then used Hypnosis, putting Pikachu to sleep.

"Ah, hell!" Iris yelled.

"Quick, run for it!" Cedric exclaimed. The group retreated from the chamber and found themselves back in the hallway with the coffins. The lids were off, revealing them to all be empty. The group hid inside them and stayed put until Sigilyph moved on.

"That was a close one," May commented as Pikachu recovered from the Hypnosis attack and woke up.

"Wait, where's Iris?" Cedric wondered.

"Iris, you can come out now!" Ash called, looking towards the coffin Iris hid in. The coffin opened and revealed what at first seemed to be another coffin… until it revealed a face and four shadowy arms as it leapt out of the coffin and crawled towards the group. May pulled out her Pokédex and aimed it at the living coffin.

_***Cofagrigus, the Coffin Pokémon and the evolved form of Yamask. People who approach Cofagrigus are swallowed and turned into mummies. It loves to eat gold.***_

Cofagrigus used Telekinesis to hold the others at bay, causing them to float in midair.

"May! Stop him!" Cilan called, as May was the only one not immobilized by the Cofagrigus.

"Manaphy, quick! Use Water Pulse!" May instructed as her Seafaring Pokémon jumped down and formed an orb of water before sending it at Cofagrigus. The attack connected, and Cofagrigus became confused as it slowly turned in her direction.

"Co-fa-grigus!" it roared, firing a Ghost-Type attack at Manaphy. Due to its confusion, it was inaccurate and the Water-Type easily dodged it.

"Great! Now use Bubble Beam!" May commanded.

"Mana!" the Water-Type acknowledged, releasing a stream of bubbles at the coffin-like Pokémon. The attack connected, knocking out Cofagrigus as it fell to the ground, dumping out Iris and Axew, who were both wrapped in bandages like mummies.

"Well, you all just took your sweet old time, didn't you?!" Iris blurted out as she was unwrapped.

"You're welcome," May replied sarcastically as Manaphy jumped into her arms, both of them sighing in frustration.

The group fled through another passage, only to find themselves in another area filled with Cofagrigus. They kept going before running into the Sigilyph from earlier, who began chasing them with its Psybeam attack.

"Why is everything in these ruins trying to kill us!?" May yelled.

"It's not like we stole the Golden Dark Stone or anything!" Cilan added.

"Actually, that's exactly what we did!" Cedric admitted, revealing that he was holding onto the Dark Stone in question.

"You… have got… TO BE KIDDING ME!" Iris shrieked.

"Professor, I thought you told us _not_ to touch that!" Ash exclaimed.

"I did, but how could I resist? You can't blame me for trying!" Cedric replied, laughing. "But we've had our fun. I guess I'll return it…"

Unfortunately, this was too little, too late; Sigilyph fired its Psybeam again just as the mob of Cofagrigus caught up to them, sending the group flying through a passage in the wall. They were deposited in a flooded underground cavern, where Cedric revealed that this is where he intended for them to end up; it was where Zekrom appeared and used its power to help the Hero in the myth.

Inspired by the story, the group was determined to escape as well and began searching for an exit. Finally, they found one, which conveniently led right back into the chamber where the Golden Dark Stone was before.

"There. Returned safe and sound." Cedric said as he placed the stone back into its place. The pursuing Pokémon seemed to disregard this, though, as the Cofagrigus and Sigilyph converged on the group.

"Look, we're sorry alright!" Ash cried out. "We returned the Golden Dark Stone to its rightful place! Stop attacking us!"

Cofagrigus responded by launching them through the opening at the top of the chamber with its Telekinesis. As the Cofagrigus withdrew its Telekinesis, the group began hurtling towards the ground, screaming and clutching their Pokémon tightly.

"Quick, we've only got one chance!" Cedric shouted. "Zekrom aided the Hero only when their hearts became one, right? That's what you've got to do! Link your hearts with your Pokémon!"

Focusing as hard as they could, each member of the group recalled every fond memory they had with their Pokémon. They all loved their Pokémon dearly, thinking of how happy they made them. Finally, their descent slowed until they were brought down to a safe landing on the ground. In front of them were Sigilyph and Cofagrigus, both having calmed down after being convinced of the group's love for Pokémon. The group offered their thanks as the Pokémon departed.

/-/-/

Back outside the ruins, Cedric prepared to take his leave of the group to continue exploring the ruins.

"Thanks for letting us tag along, professor!" Ash said, smiling.

"I have to admit, it was kinda fun," May added, grinning.

"It was a most flavorful experience, professor!" Cilan agreed. "Hope we can do it again sometime!"

"If I find any more ruins that need exploring, I know just who to call," Cedric replied with a grin. "Until then, I hope to see you around!" he finished, heading off as everyone said their goodbyes.

And with that, our heroes continued on their way to Mistralton City.

* * *

**I have returned!**

**Seriously though, from now on I'm gonna make sure I warn you guys if I'm gonna be taking a break or whatever for this long. Hopefully I'll have some free time coming up for writing, so expect my next update to be sooner than this one. Until then, everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Mistralton Mischief

"Pikachu, Quick Attack! Go!" Ash shouted. The Mouse Pokémon complied, slamming into the snout of his sunglasses-wearing opponent.

The group had finally reached Mistralton City, only to be ambushed by the sunglasses-wearing Krokorok that had long since established itself as Pikachu's rival. The group explained this to May, who was amazed that a Pokémon could be so persistent in targeting someone.

Recovering from the Quick Attack, Krokorok retaliated with a Stone Edge attack.

"Dodge it!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu dodged the attack easily enough, only to find himself trapped in a circle formed by the stones. Quick to capitalize on his momentary advantage, Krokorok used Dig to tunnel underground and headed for Pikachu.

"Careful, Pikachu! Watch for when he surfaces!" Ash cautioned.

Despite Pikachu's vigilance, the Desert Croc Pokémon was able to take him by surprise as it surfaced behind the Electric-Type and struck him with its tail, sending Pikachu flying. Fortunately, Pikachu regained his composure and was no longer trapped by the stone circle.

"Kroko-ROK!" the opposing Pokémon roared, charging towards Pikachu again.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Aim for the ground in front of it!" Ash ordered. Pikachu obeyed, creating a small hole in front of Krokorok which caused it to trip and faceplant.

"That was a clever move," commented Iris.

"Well, it's good to see Ash has gotten a little less predictable since our first adventure," replied May. Although she loved Ash passionately, even May had to admit that he wasn't the most complex guy around.

Executing another Quick Attack, Pikachu slammed into Krokorok with enough force to send its sunglasses flying off of its face. This left Krokorok open as it fumbled around, searching for its glasses.

"Quick, now's your chance, Ash!" Cilan shouted, urging Ash to take advantage of the situation.

"No," Ash replied, refusing to attack. "That would be a cheap shot. Pikachu and Krokorok need to settle this score, fair and square."

Krokorok finally recovered its glasses and, putting them back on, whipped around and prepared to use Crunch as it came barreling towards Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail! Now!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu charged forward before using Iron Tail with all of his strength as the two Pokémon collided head-on. Both Pokémon were left standing for a moment, until Krokorok crumpled to the ground in defeat.

Behind them, the group cheered for Ash and Pikachu as it appeared the yellow Electric-Type had finally bested his rival.

"Nice going, Ash!" Cilan cheered.

"You too, Pikachu! Way to go!" May added.

"Ma-na!" Manaphy agreed, jumping down from May's shoulder to congratulate his Electric-Type comrade.

Meanwhile, Ash approached Krokorok as it recovered, checking to see if it was alright. As he did so, Krokorok turned away and began to slink off dejectedly with its head hung in shame as it couldn't believe how easily it had been defeated.

"Krokorok isn't taking its loss very well," Iris observed.

"Well, Krokorok _did_ give it his all and still came up short. That's not something that happens without a little disappointment," May replied as the group watched Krokorok depart. Ash felt sorriest for it, wishing he could cheer Krokorok up.

"Hey, wait!" Ash called after it. Krokorok turned, wondering what he wanted.

"You really did a great job in that battle. I can tell how much potential you have, so why not join my team?" Ash asked. "You'd be a great help!"

Hearing this, Krokorok's face lit up and it excitedly nodded its head 'yes'.

"Alright!" Ash smiled, pulling out a Poké Ball and throwing it at the Desert Croc Pokémon. Krokorok went inside and was caught after a few shakes.

"Alright! I caught a Krokorok!" Ash cheered.

"Pi-Pika!" Pikachu cheered as well, jumping happily.

"Aww, that was sweet of you to do that for Krokorok." May said, giving Ash a peck on the cheek.

"Papa nice!" agreed Manaphy, nuzzling his 'father' affectionately.

Ash blushed, but grinned nevertheless as he hugged both of them. Now with a new addition, the group proceeded onward to Mistralton.

/-/-/

It was already pretty late in the evening by the time the group arrived at the Mistralton Pokémon Center and got their Pokémon healed. May had confirmed that the next Contest was being held here, while Ash was naturally focused on his next Gym badge. Iris and Cilan graciously took separate rooms to allow Ash and May to have some space for themselves.

"I'm sure you guys are gonna need the extra room once the ingredients _really_ start mixing," Cilan said, twitching his eyebrows and winking at Ash.

"Heh, I'll remember that. Thanks," Ash replied, laughing nervously as he headed off to his and May's room. As he entered, he and Pikachu were both floored by May's dress. She had on a stunning sequined scarlet-red gown, a pearl necklace, and her hair was let loose.

"Piii-kaaa…" Pikachu marveled.

"So… uh… what's… the occasion?" Ash stuttered, getting over his momentary shock.

May made a mock-hurt expression before replying, "What? First night in a new town and you're not even going to offer to take me out?"

"Oh, I, uhhh…" Ash stuttered once more. _Man_, he thought, _I suck at this._

"Save it," May giggled, "I guess I'll just have to do the asking."

Ash smiled gratefully at May as he replied, "Yeah, a night out on the town would be fun. Just, uh, give me a few minutes to change…"

As soon as Ash was sure he was out of sight, he began panicking.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man, I am so screwed! I don't even know this city, where should I take her, what should we do, what…!?"

Rolling his eyes, Pikachu delivered a quick shock to his friend to bring him back to reality.

"…Thanks, Pikachu. I needed that," Ash said, coughing out a bit of smoke.

"Pi-ka," Pikachu replied. "Pika-chu. Pika-pika chu!"

"You're right," Ash agreed. "I just need to play it cool, and stick with something simple."

Changing quickly into his Sinnoh traveling clothes, Ash went back into the other room, where May was patiently waiting.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready when you are," Ash replied. Then, he turned to Pikachu.

"Pikachu, I'm gonna need you to watch Manaphy while we're gone. You guys try not to get into too much trouble," he said, grinning at his Electric-Type companion.

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu replied, returning the grin.

"And Manaphy, be good for Pikachu," May said to her Water-Type son.

"Maa-na!" Manaphy cheerfully replied.

Smiling, the two trainers waved goodbye to their Pokémon and headed out, arm in arm.

/-/-/

"Geez, May. Did you really have to dress so nicely? By comparison, I feel _way_ out of my league," Ash said half-jokingly as the two walked through downtown Mistralton.

"But I've been waiting for an excuse to wear this!" May replied. "I bought it a while back, thinking it would make a good Contest outfit. And that… didn't go as planned. Besides, there's nothing wrong with your outfit. It's cute!" she finished.

Ash smiled slightly as he responded, "Well, even without the dress, you'd still seem out of my league. How can I _not_ feel inadequate with such a beautiful girl next to me?"

At this, May fell silent as her face turned a deep shade of red. Ash chuckled as he put his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him.

"You know it's true," he insisted, before lifting her face up and brought his lips to hers. "You really are beautiful."

"Love you," May sighed as she rested her head on Ash's shoulder.

"You too," Ash replied.

Walking around a bit longer, the couple decided to have dinner in a small family-style restaurant. They entered and sat down, ordering a couple of drinks and chatting as they looked over the menu.

"So, our first official date," Ash began. "I know this might not be the most glamorous place for it, but…"

"Ash, it's just you and me, together. How much more 'glamorous' does it need to be?" May interrupted. Ash grinned as he replied.

"That's true. No one else, no Pokémon. Just the two of us. Nothing beats it. Besides," he continued, "I knew that if food was involved, it wouldn't be a total loss for you either way."

They both laughed over this, and the conversation soon turned to tomorrow's events. They discussed Ash's upcoming Gym battle and May's Contest while they ate. Despite its average appearance, the restaurant had surprisingly good food, and they stayed for dessert as well.

Ash, ever the gentleman, paid for everything despite May's protests.

"There is no way I'm letting my girlfriend pay for the first date," Ash sternly told her with an over-exaggeratedly serious look. "You're gonna be spoiled tonight, and you're gonna like it!"

"Alright, I suppose I can live with being spoiled for a night," May acquiesced with a wink and a smile.

Continuing on, the two found a small park. It was mostly empty, and they found a nice secluded spot where things got a bit… steamy, until Ash noticed the time and realized the Pokémon Center would be closing its doors soon.

"Although," Ash began as the two headed back, "perhaps we can continue this back at the room?"

"Sorry Ash, but not in front of the kids," May replied. It took Ash a moment to understand that, before he realized she was referring to their Pokémon.

"Ah, I should've known you'd go back into 'Mom Mode' around them," Ash replied with a bit of disappointment.

"Don't be disappointed, there's no need to rush things," May replied. "I'm not leaving you again. There will be plenty of time for _fun_," she finished, saying the last word in a slightly seductive tone, and Ash cheered up as they arrived at the Pokémon Center and headed back to their room, hand in hand.

"Mama! Papa!" Manaphy cried happily, launching himself excitedly towards his parents as they entered the room. They caught him as he wrapped his flipper-like arms around them in a hug.

"Hi, Manaphy! Were you good for Pikachu?" May asked her Seafaring Pokémon. Smiling, Manaphy cheerfully nodded his head 'yes' as Ash looked to Pikachu, who also nodded his head.

"Pika!" Pikachu assured, confirming that there had been no problems.

The events from earlier that morning in the Hero's ruins finally began to catch up with the pair as they got ready for bed. Deciding to share a bed rather than be apart, May and Ash fell asleep in each other's arms that night, with Manaphy and Pikachu cuddled up to their respective trainers as closely as they could get.

/-/-/

The next day, everyone made sure to get an early start as Ash was anxious to get his next Gym badge. They were a bit perplexed, though, to find that the Gym was actually a cargo plane hangar.

"Huh, weird. Oh well, time for my Gym battle!" Ash said with his usual enthusiasm. As he began to rush into the Gym, he was stopped and told to wait in line.

"There's a line?" Ash asked.

"Yep. And you'll also need to schedule an appointment," answered the Gym attendant. "Shall I put you in for the afternoon group?"

"I don't think I've ever seen a Gym with people lined up to get in," Iris commented.

"Or a Gym that required scheduled appointments, for that matter," replied May.

"All I know is that _my_ Gym back in Striaton has never been this popular," added Cilan with a hint of envy.

A moment later, a plane landed on the runway and the pilot, a redheaded girl in a skimpy blue pilot suit, emerged from the cockpit.

"Are you the Gym Leader?" Ash asked.

"You got it!" she responded with a wink. "The name's Skyla, otherwise known as the Highflying Girl! Let's get these Gym battles started, shall we?"

Skyla produced three Poké Balls and threw them, releasing a Swoobat, an Unfezant, and a Swanna.

"Alright, I guess I'm up first!" shouted a boy from the crowd. He released three of his own Pokémon; a Zebstrika, a Boldore, and an Emolga.

"Alright, we're ready for the Air Battle!" Skyla exclaimed.

"Air Battle?" Ash repeated.

"It must be some kind of new battle type," Cilan guessed.

"Then this should be interesting," May finished.

The group watched with interest, anxious to see how this 'Air Battle' played out. Unfortunately, they were in for a bit of disappointment when no battling actually took place.

Instead of initiating a battle, the redhead Gym Leader simply closed her eyes for moment, as if thinking about something, before opening her eyes and looking at her opponent.

"Impressive show of strength! Here's the Jet Badge, you earned it!" she said as she handed the boy his Badge, leaving the group bewildered.

"Uh… what just happened?" Ash wondered out loud.

"It looked to me like she just gave away a free Badge," May replied.

"She didn't even put up a fight!" Cilan said incredulously, astounded that a Gym Leader would just hand out a Badge like that.

"Hey, wait up a second!" Ash called to the boy who had just 'won' the Badge. "What was that? You guys didn't even battle!"

"Sure we did," the boy replied matter-of-factly. "Skyla plays out every battle in her mind and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the Pokémon. That way, she knows the outcome before the battle even happens!"

"No wonder she can accommodate all these challengers," May commented, "She slacks off and _pretends_ to have a battle!"

"Well, at least it's time efficient," Iris offered.

"It's friggin' _stupid_ is what it is!" Ash snapped.

Meanwhile, Cilan was silently fuming as he watched the challengers, one after another, be either granted or denied a Badge without a single actual battle.

_She's a disgrace to Gym Leaders everywhere, and these 'battles' are such a sham!, _he thought angrily.

"Well, looks like I'm done for this morning!" Skyla said cheerfully as she saw that there were no more challengers. She turned around and began to walk back towards her plane before Cilan finally erupted.

"STOP!" he shouted, angrily stomping after her. The others followed close behind, as Ash was eager to see Cilan give Skyla a piece of his mind. Skyla turned around, confused as to who stopped her.

"What kind of Gym battles were those!?" Cilan demanded. "I didn't hear a single command given, or see a single move used!"

"It looked to us like you just handed Badges out for free!" May exclaimed.

"Or just denied them to trainers without giving them a chance to prove themselves," Ash added.

"Sorry, but if you have any questions, you'll have to come back during the afternoon session," Skyla replied nonchalantly. Completely disregarding the group, she turned and boarded her plane and took off, leaving the group thoroughly peeved.

/-/-/

"Man, this sucks," Ash sighed. Pokémon and trainer alike nodded their heads in agreement, not having any better way to put it.

After that morning's less-than-impressive display, the group's spirits were rather low. Ash was understandably disappointed, and Cilan was still furious from seeing a Gym Leader disregard her duties so carelessly.

After Skyla had blown them off, the group had encountered Skyla's grandfather, Miles. The former Mistralton Gym Leader told them about how Skyla used to do real battles when she first took over the Gym. He said she was really good at it, but the Gym became so popular that she had no time for herself anymore, which was why she invented the idea of 'Air battles" in the first place.

"So she neglects her duties to screw around!?" Cilan growled. "That's unacceptable!"

"I've tried to tell her that, but she just won't listen," Miles replied. "Nothing is gonna change her mind."

Now the group sat around, wondering what to do. Ash wasn't leaving Mistralton without his Badge, and he was determined to have a real battle for it.

"Well, sitting around here certainly isn't solving anything," Cilan said, standing up. "I'm going back there, and I'm gonna face her."

"What's the point? She'll probably just make you do another Air battle," Iris sighed.

"I won't take 'no' for an answer," Cilan replied. "She is going to listen. I'll show her that you can't predict a battle's outcome until it's actually over."

Returning to the hangar/Gym, the group met up with Skyla as she landed her plane and disembarked. When they met up, Cilan apologized for his earlier behavior and introduced himself as a fellow Gym Leader before requesting a battle.

"Hmmm… This is the first time I've met a Leader from a different Gym, let alone battled one," Skyla replied thoughtfully. "Alright, you're on!"

Although Skyla predicted that she would win against Cilan's Pansage, Crustle, and Stunfisk, Cilan was determined to prove her wrong as they faced each other with Miles acting as the judge.

"The 3-on-3 battle between Cilan and Skyla is about to begin," Miles announced. "The battle is over when all Pokémon on a team are unable to continue."

"Pansage, you're up!" Cilan called, releasing his Grass Monkey Pokémon.

"Swoobat, time for takeoff!" Skyla exclaimed, releasing her Psychic/Flying-Type Courting Pokémon.

"Battle begin!" Miles announced.

"Pansage, use Bullet Seed!" Cilan ordered. Pansage obeyed, firing numerous green seeds at Swoobat. Swoobat was too quick, though, and easily dodged the seeds before Skyla quickly counterattacked and had Swoobat use Air Cutter, landing a direct hit on Pansage and doing serious damage.

"Oh man, that doesn't look good," Ash grimaced.

"Pansage, quick! Use Bite!" Cilan called.

Pansage leapt at his opponent, but missed the attack as Swoobat dodged once again.

"I seem to have an unfair advantage; I'm actually hitting my target!" Skyla taunted. "Swoobat, finish this with Gust!"

Swoobat complied, blowing Pansage back in a heap.

"Pansage is unable to continue. Swoobat wins," Miles announced as Cilan returned Pansage and called out Crustle.

"Skyla's prediction is coming true," Iris said.

"It was a lucky guess, that's all," Ash replied, gritting his teeth in anger as he couldn't believe Pansage got knocked out without landing a single hit.

"It wasn't that unpredictable," May commented. "Swoobat does have a Type advantage, but then again, there is more to battling than just Types."

Back on the field, Cilan's Stone Home Pokémon emerged as Cilan gave it its orders.

"Crustle, Rock Wrecker!" Cilan commanded. Crustle immediately launched a massive boulder at Swoobat, scoring a direct hit and knocking it out of the air as it fell in defeat.

"Swoobat is unable to continue. Crustle is the winner," Miles announced.

"Way to go, Cilan!" Ash cheered.

"Come on, Cilan! Prove how wrong these Air battles are!" May cheered as well.

Skyla recalled Swoobat before releasing Unfezant.

"Crustle, use Rock Wrecker again!" Cilan ordered. Crustle launched another boulder at the Normal/Flying-Type. The attack connected, but Unfezant managed to stay in the air.

"Use Air Slash!" Skyla countered. Unfezant obeyed, but Crustle was left unharmed as it withdrew into its shell, blocking the attack.

"Crustle, use Shell Smash, then X-Scissor!" Cilan called. Leaping out of its shell, Crustle executed the moves with perfect accuracy, knocking Unfezant out.

"Unfezant is unable to continue. Crustle wins," Miles announced.

"All right! Looks like Skyla's Air battles aren't so accurate after all!" Ash cheered.

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu agreed.

"Swanna, let's fly together!" Skyla exclaimed, calling out her White Bird Pokémon.

Cilan ordered another Rock Wrecker attack from Crustle, but Swanna managed to dodge it before following up with BubbleBeam, causing Crustle to retreat back into its shell.

"Now use Brave Bird!" Skyla ordered. Swanna began diving towards Crustle when the Bug/Rock-Type jumped out of its shell as Cilan prepared to use the Shell Smash/X-Scissor combo again. Swanna changed direction and headed straight for Crustle as the two Pokémon's attacks collided head-on. When the dust settled, Crustle lay on its back with black spirals in its eyes.

"Crustle is unable to continue. Swanna wins," Miles announced.

_I cannot lose this!_ Cilan thought as he sent out his last Pokémon.

"Go, Stunfisk! Use ThunderShock!"

The attack connected though, despite its Type advantage, Swanna was not defeated.

"Swanna, use Hurricane!" Skyla commanded. The winds from the Hurricane blew Stunfisk high into the air, but Cilan used this to his advantage as he ordered Stunfisk to use Scald, leaving Swanna with a burn. Swanna healed itself Aqua Ring and, dodging a Mud Bomb attack from Stunfisk, defeated the Ground/Electric-Type Pokémon with Brave Bird.

Miles grudgingly declared Skyla the winner as Cilan fell to his knees with a look of shock on his face. He had failed to prove Skyla's methods wrong.

"Poor Cilan…" Iris said.

"I guess there's no convincing Skyla now," May sighed in disappointment.

Ash, however, wasn't about to have it end like this.

"Skyla!" he called angrily after her, "I want you to battle me!"

"Look," Skyla said with a look of annoyance, "I just proved to your friend that my methods work. If I can predict the outcome of one battle, I can predict them all. Show me your Pokémon."

Ash did so, sending out Tranquill, Pikachu, and his new Krokorok.

"Impressive team," Skyla began, "But there's no doubt I'd still win, hands down."

"I think you're wrong!" May snapped as she walked up next to Ash and took his hand. "I think Ash and his Pokémon could wipe the floor with your team!"

"Mana-phi!" Manaphy agreed ardently.

Skyla was taken aback by this, before angrily turning back to Ash.

"Fine! I'll battle you," she said. "You honestly think my Air battles are meaningless?"

"I guess we're about to find out," Ash replied, grinning fiercely.

* * *

**I'm finally beginning to appreciate how tedious it is to write battles :(**

**As always, please leave reviews, comments, and suggestions, and I'll see you next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

* * *

Chapter 5: A Coordinated Effort

"Having second thoughts yet?" Ash called across the field.

"Why would I? The battle is still going just as I expected," the Mistralton Gym Leader called back with a cocky smile.

_Then I'm gonna enjoy this_, Ash thought, smiling to himself at the thought of wiping that smile off Skyla's face.

It had been quite the battle so far, as it turned out that Ash's team wasn't going down as easily as Skyla had predicted in her 'Air battle'. Nevertheless, each trainer was down to their last Pokémon as Krokorok, Pikachu, Swoobat, and Unfezant had all been knocked out. Now it came down to Ash's Tranquill versus Skyla's Swanna.

"I wonder if Ash will be able to pull this off," Iris wondered as she and the others watched from the sidelines.

"He'll pull through. I know he will," May replied resolutely.

Cilan, however, kept his eyes fixed on the battlefield as he watched the battle with rapt attention, hoping to be avenged by Ash after his disappointing defeat against Skyla.

"Alright Tranquill, I choose you!" Ash called as he released Tranquill out onto the field before ordering it to use Quick Attack. The attack clipped Swanna, and Ash was quick to follow it up with an Air Cutter attack, sending Swanna into a tailspin.

"Alright! Finish this with Gust!" Ash commanded.

"Swanna, counter it with Hurricane!" Skyla shouted.

The attacks collided, but the powerful tornado created by Swanna's Hurricane overpowered Tranquill's Gust, sending Tranquill crashing to the ground.

"Tranquill!" Ash yelled worriedly.

"No…" Cilan breathed, not believing that Skyla could have won again.

"Looks like it's over," Iris sighed resignedly.

"A-xew," Axew agreed sadly.

"Not yet it isn't! Look!" May yelled suddenly, pointing towards the field.

On the battlefield, Tranquill had become enveloped in a bright bluish-white glow, meaning only one thing.

"It's evolving!" May exclaimed.

"Mana! Phi-mana!" Manaphy cheered excitedly.

Still glowing, Tranquill slowly began to struggle to its feet.

"Alright, Tranquill! You can do it!" Ash said, encouraging his Wild Pigeon Pokémon.

As Tranquill stood up, the glow faded from its body and revealed its newly-evolved form. In Tranquill's place stood a taller, darker-colored Pokémon with a brown underside.

"Tranquill evolved into Unfezant!" Ash cheered.

_Damn_, Skyla mentally cursed, not able to start gloating yet.

Ash quickly pulled out the Pokédex and aimed it at his new Unfezant.

_***Unfezant, the Proud Pokémon and the evolved form of Tranquill. Female Unfezant's flying skills surpass that of male Unfezant.***_

"So Unfezant's a female…" Iris began.

"Meaning her flying skills will give her an advantage and help her against Swanna," May finished.

"Then this battle just got interesting again!" Cilan said, turning back to the battle.

"Well, Unfezant, looks like you've learned a new move," Ash said, grinning as he glanced at the Pokédex before putting it away. "Why don't we put it to use? Start off with Air Cutter!"

"Don't get too proud of yourself yet! An evolution isn't going to help you!" Skyla yelled. "Swanna, dodge quickly!"

_Oh, I'm gonna make you eat those words_, Ash thought with satisfaction, smirking a bit despite Swanna successfully dodging Unfezant's Air Cutter attack.

"Go after Swanna! Stay on its tail!" Ash commanded. Unfezant nodded and took off after Swanna, using her improved flying skills to easily keep up with Swanna.

"Quick! Turn around and use Brave Bird!" Skyla called. Swanna obeyed, circling back and slamming into Unfezant, who managed to stay in the air.

"One more Brave Bird should wrap this up!" Skyla shouted as Swanna prepared to use the move again.

"Unfezant, quick! Dodge it and fly up higher!" Ash countered.

Unfezant did so, ascending rapidly and easily outpacing Swanna, who started to fall farther and farther behind.

"You're pretty fast, but we're faster!" Skyla said. "Swanna, keep after Unfezant!"

The two Flying-Types soared throughout the Gym, performing sharp turns and quick maneuvers as each tried to overtake the other. Finally, Ash decided it was time to finish this.

"Okay, Unfezant, let's use that new move of yours. Use Aerial Ace!" Ash ordered.

Unfezant activated the attack, but couldn't land a hit. Neither Pokémon could hit the other as they were about evenly matched in terms of speed, so they flew in circles for a moment trying to hit each other.

"Come on, come on!" Ash urged.

"Come on, Unfezant! You can do it!" May encouraged.

"Show her how Gym battles are _supposed_ to be!" Cilan added.

Determined not to let her trainer down, Unfezant summoned enough strength for one last good burst of speed. It proved to be just enough as she crashed into Swanna, resulting in a massive midair explosion.

Everyone held their breath in anticipation for a second, their eyes locked on the cloud of black smoke that hung in the air from the explosion.

Their silent anticipation suddenly changed to loud cheers a moment later when Swanna dropped out of the cloud and hit the ground, clearly knocked out.

"Swanna is unable to continue, so Unfezant wins! The winner of this battle is the challenger, Ash!" Miles announced gladly.

"We did it!" Ash cheered, recalling Unfezant.

"Pi-ka-chu!" Pikachu agreed.

The rest of the group rushed onto the field to congratulate Ash. May was the first to reach him, of course, and she threw her arms around him as Manaphy lightly wrapped his arms around Ash's neck from behind.

"Settle down, guys," Ash laughed, "I only won a Gym battle. You act like I just defeated the Champion or something!"

"Do I really need an excuse to do this?" May asked with a sly smile, before smashing her lips into Ash's.

"Nope. I guess you don't need an excuse," Ash replied, whistling as both May and Manaphy giggled.

Cilan gave Ash a pat on the back, and he and Ash both noticed – with a bit of satisfaction – that Skyla was looking a little stunned at the fact that her Air battles had finally been proven wrong. Both of them struggled to be the better man as they suppressed the urge to gloat.

A few minutes later, the group met up with Skyla again and she apologized for her arrogance.

"Well, I guess you were right after all," she admitted meekly, "I guess a battle's outcome is never really certain until the battle has played out."

She then pulled out Ash's Gym Badge as she continued.

"For defeating me, I present you with the Jet Badge. You've earned it, for real this time. No more Air battles," she assured.

Ash gratefully accepted the Badge, but he and the group had one more request.

"Skyla, now that you're no longer doing Air battles," Cilan began, "we think it would only be fair if you re-challenged the trainers you made do Air battles. Give them a chance to really prove themselves."

Skyla thought for a moment before she responded, "Oh… alright. It could be fun, predicting the outcome and then checking to see how accurate I was. But either way, it's only real battles from now on."

"I'm glad to hear that," Miles chimed in. "You were always such a great battler; it would be a shame to let your talent go to waste."

"Thanks, grandpa," Skyla replied with a smile, before turning back to the group. "So, are you heading to Icirrus City to earn the Freeze Badge next?"

"We will be…" Ash started.

"…right after my Contest tomorrow!" May finished excitedly, eager to compete for her next Ribbon.

"You're a Coordinator?" Skyla asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, good luck in your Contest!"

The group bid Skyla and Miles farewell as they headed back to the Pokémon Center, eager to get some rest.

They arrived a few minutes later, and sat and chatted in the lobby as Ash's Pokémon were healed. Just as Ash's Pokémon were brought out, the group heard from behind them someone enter the Pokémon Center. They thought nothing of it, and prepared to depart to their rooms.

Until a voice spoke up from behind them. A voice that was, for Ash and May, definitely not one they were too happy to hear.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

_Oh dear Arceus, why? _ May thought, groaning internally.

_You gotta be kidding me, _Ash thought with annoyance.

Turning around, both May and Ash made no attempt to hide their displeasure as they groaned upon confirming who the voice belonged to.

There, in his usual Cacturne outfit, stood Harley, smirking arrogantly.

"So, I _did_ guess right," he continued, "…it's Princess Prissy and her faithful boy toy."

"What are you even doing in Unova, Harley?" May asked in an annoyed tone.

"Do I need to spell it out for you? There are Contests here. You're here. Therefore, I needed to come here to kick your ass." He paused before adding, almost as an afterthought, "Just like I did in Johto."

"You cheated and you know it!" May shot back furiously.

"Cheated? Who, moi? Perish the thought," he responded with a dismissive flick of his wrist.

"Will you please just get out of here?" Ash asked impatiently.

"Sorry, but I'm entitled to be here all I want," Harley answered defiantly. "It's a public service. Not that I'd expect that concept to penetrate that thick skull of yours, of course. If you're dumb enough to fall for May, I suppose you're dumb enough to think you own the Pokémon Center, too."

"MANA! Mana-mana-phi! Mana!" Manaphy snapped angrily, realizing that his parents were being insulted.

Harley simply rolled his eyes at Manaphy before again addressing May.

"Great! You've finally found a Pokémon that's as annoying as you," he sneered.

May was ready to put her fist in Harley's face, and she would have if Ash hadn't restrained her.

"Ooooh! Touched a nerve, did I?" Harley taunted, continuing to push his luck.

"Harley, in about three seconds I'm gonna let Pikachu light you up bright enough to be seen from orbit!" Ash snarled.

"Pi-kaaaa…," Pikachu growled, menacingly firing off a few sparks.

_That_ shut Harley up, and he quickly turned and hurried out the door without bothering to have his Pokémon healed.

"Good luck tomorrow! You're sure as hell gonna need it!" he called over his shoulder to May as he left, earning another warning glare from Ash.

With Harley out of her sight, May calmed down and thanked Ash for stopping her from doing anything rash.

"Phi?" Manaphy asked worriedly, upset from seeing May so angry.

"Don't worry, Manaphy," May said reassuringly as she took Manaphy into her arms and held him close. "I'm fine, and don't pay attention to anything that guy says, alright?"

Smiling, Manaphy nodded his head before jumping back to his spot on May's shoulder.

"What was _that_ all about?" Iris asked.

"Seriously, who was that?" Cilan added.

"That was Harley, quite possibly my least favorite rival," May responded wearily.

"And is it my imagination, or is he an even bigger jerk than he was last time we met?" Ash asked.

"So you noticed. Yeah, he got a lot worse while we were in Johto," May replied.

"Sounds like it. But what was he talking about, something about kicking your…"

"In Johto, I know," May quickly said, cutting Ash off. Then, she closed her eyes and her expression darkened as she sighed, "I didn't win the Johto Grand Festival. Harley did, though he cheated to do so."

"And he didn't get caught?" Ash asked, prompting May to sadly shake her head.

"Nope. He may be an obnoxious creep, but he's clever. He covered his tracks well enough that no one could prove he cheated. There were suspicions, but like I said, there wasn't enough proof." May answered, fighting to keep her temper under control. Just the very thought of it made her furious.

"So this guy cheats his way through Johto, decides he still holds some stupid grudge against you, and follows you to Unova to do the same here," Cilan summarized.

"I can't think why else he would be here," May replied. "But I'm ready for him this time. If he tries cheating again, I'll make sure we catch him."

"We'll be sure to keep an eye out tomorrow," Ash assured. "You just worry about winning the Contest."

May's expression changed to a devious smile as she said, "Actually, that's one thing I _won't_ be worrying about. Harley knows my style by now. He's seen how I use each of my Pokémon, but I'll catch him off guard with Manaphy!"

"Mana?" Manaphy perked up, hearing his name.

"You're gonna use Manaphy in the Contest?" Ash asked, a bit surprised.

"Why not?" May replied. "His moves cover almost everything; Coolness, Beauty, Smartness… and especially Cuteness!" she finished as she cuddled Manaphy, who squealed happily and rubbed his cheek against hers.

"It's a little risky, don't you think?" Ash asked. "I mean, you guys haven't even practiced."

"Well, I've already sort of got an idea of what we'll do for Manaphy's appeal," May said, "And Manaphy's so smart, I'm sure he'll get the hang of it as we go. Won't you, Manaphy?"

"Ma-na-phi!" the Seafaring Pokémon cheerfully replied with a resolute nod of his head.

With everything settled, everyone returned to their rooms and turned in for the night, anticipating another interesting day ahead of them tomorrow.

/-/-/

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Mistralton City Pokémon Contest!"

The crowd cheered enthusiastically as the announcer welcomed the Coordinators and introduced the usual lineup of judges; Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and the local Nurse Joy. The Contest Hall was packed, and everyone expected a good show.

Meanwhile, May and the group were all keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of foul play, as they were all expecting Harley to try and pull something.

May was only half-alert, though, as she was focused on preparing for the Contest. The larger-than-expected crowd was admittedly making her a bit nervous, and she and Manaphy went over their routine one last time.

"Alright, you have nothing to worry about," Ash said reassuringly. "We'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious. You just need to go up there and do your thing."

"Pi-ka-pi," Pikachu agreed.

May nodded, turning back to watch the other Coordinators and their appeals. Before long, it was Harley's turn, and he sauntered onto the stage with a bit of excessive flamboyance.

"Cacturne, time to let your beauty show!" Harley called, releasing his signature Grass/Dark-Type Scarecrow Pokémon.

"Start off with Cotton Spore!"

Cacturne complied, shooting small cotton balls out of its mouth and high into the air. They began to gently float down before Harley followed up by ordering Cacturne to use Poison Sting on the cotton balls. Cacturne obeyed, firing a volley of purple darts which pierced the balls.

"Alright, let's liven things up! Pin Missile, now!" Harley called.

Rapidly taking aim, Cacturne fired off several white pins which proceeded to pierce each of the cotton balls, forming X's with the darts from Poison Sting.

"Let's wrap this up with Bullet Seed!" Harley ordered.

Spinning around, Cacturne fired a spray of small, orange seeds at the twice-speared cotton balls. The seeds ricocheted off the spikes, causing them to whirl towards the ground like miniature shurikens. The spike-balls sped up as they descended before embedding themselves in the stage, forming a perfect circle with Harley and Cacturne striking a pose in the center.

The audience broke into cheers and applause as the announcer also expressed his amazement. The judges all had nothing but praise for Harley's performance, complementing his Cacturne's astounding accuracy and coordination.

Back with Ash and the others, sweat drops formed on everyone's foreheads as they saw the impressive show Cacturne had put on.

"Wow…" Ash breathed.

"That's gonna be tough to top…" Cilan began.

"Are you kidding?" May replied with a little more confidence than she felt. "If they thought _that_ was impressive, then Manaphy and I are gonna blow them away! Won't we, Manaphy?"

"Ma-naa!" Manaphy affirmed with a smile as the announcer came back on.

"And now, ladies and gentleman, we give you the Princess of Hoenn, May Maple of Petalburg City!"

The crowd applauded once more as May stepped onto the stage and waved, with Manaphy clinging to her shoulder.

"Manaphy, take the stage!" May called energetically, and Manaphy leapt from her shoulder and onto the stage.

"Well, isn't this a treat? One of the rarest Pokémon in the world, a Sea Guardian no less, right here in the Mistralton Contest!" the announcer commented enthusiastically. The judges all nodded their heads in agreement, and the crowd became excited to see how such a rare Legendary Pokémon would perform.

May smiled to herself. Things were already going just as she had hoped.

"Manaphy, let's get things going with Heart Swap!" May commanded.

Manaphy obediently raised his antennae as their rounded tips began to glow. Several small, pink hearts appeared in a ring around Manaphy, who sent them higher into the air.

"Great! Now aim at the hearts with Bubble Beam!"

"Phi!" Manaphy acknowledged before releasing a stream of bubbles at the hearts. The bubbles encased the hearts as they continued to float.

"Alright, use Ice Beam!"

Manaphy proceeded to fire a bluish-white beam from his mouth. It struck each of the heart-filled bubbles, freezing them solid.

"Now finish strong with Psychic!" May said as the frozen bubbles began to fall.

Manaphy complied and used his Psychic attack to shatter the bubbles. They all burst simultaneously, creating a thick, sparkling curtain of pink-and-white heart-shaped snowflakes which cascaded down around May and Manaphy. After a few moments the snow cleared, revealing Manaphy striking a pose with his antennae curved inward above his head, forming the shape of a heart.

The crowd went wild and the announcer exclaimed his own praises before turning things over to the judges, who were all thoroughly impressed and complemented Manaphy's elegant style and cute appeal.

May gave a thumbs-up and winked to Ash and the group, who were cheering their support, as Manaphy jumped back onto May's shoulder. Meanwhile, the judges were deciding which trainers would advance to the Battling phase of the Contest.

A few minutes later, the judges made their decisions. Unsurprisingly, both May and Harley were chosen to move on to the Battle phase. Both Coordinators chose to stick with their same Pokémon, though, and May was a little concerned about the Type advantage Harley would have over her, and hoped one of the other trainers would beat him before she had to face him.

That wasn't likely to happen, though. Most of the other contestants were less experienced, and May and Harley were really the only veteran Coordinators present. As expected, they rolled right over the competition until it was down to just them.

"Cacturne, time to bring down this little hussy!" Harley said, releasing his Scarecrow Pokémon and shooting an overconfident grin at May.

_Not this time_, May thought, glaring back at him.

"Manaphy, time to show what you can really do!" May said as Manaphy leapt back onto the stage and took his position.

"Cacturne, use Bullet Seed!" Harley commanded.

"Dodge it and use Water Pulse!" May countered.

Manaphy successfully dodged the barrage of seeds before forming an orb of water and firing it towards Cacturne.

"Dodge and use Faint Attack!" Harley shouted.

Moving too quickly to follow, Cacturne dodged the Water Pulse and rushed toward Manaphy before swinging around and hitting him from behind before the Water-Type could react.

"Manaphy!" May cried as Harley snickered to himself.

Manaphy quickly recovered as he got back on his feet and turned to May, ready for new orders.

"Okay Manaphy, we're gonna try a bullet attack of our own. Combine Bubble Beam and Ice Beam!" May said.

Manaphy performed the attack combo, using Ice Beam to freeze each bubble from Bubble Beam before firing it. In this way, Manaphy sent a hail of ice balls flying towards Cacturne.

"Quick! Block them with Needle Arm!" Harley ordered.

Massive needles sprouted from Cacturne's limbs as it attempted to use them to block the makeshift hailstones flying towards it. But despite Cacturne's best efforts, most of the frozen bubbles landed direct hits on it, doing serious damage and causing Harley to lose quite a few points.

Harley gritted his teeth angrily before giving his next orders.

"Cacturne, use Poison Sting! And make sure it leaves a mark!"

Cacturne obeyed, firing numerous purple darts at Manaphy, who couldn't quite dodge all of them in time as he was hit and poisoned, causing the Seafaring Pokémon to cry out in pain.

"Manaphy! Are you alright?" May asked worriedly.

Struggling through the pain, Manaphy managed a smile as he nodded, indicating he wasn't finished yet.

"Alright, use Aqua Ring!"

Manaphy formed several rings of water around himself, healing a bit of the damage as Harley was already preparing another attack.

"Now! Use Pin Missile, before it heals too much!" Harley yelled.

Cacturne immediately obeyed, spraying countless white pins at its opponent. But May was prepared, and waited until the pins were just about to hit Manaphy.

"Now! Freeze the Aqua Rings with Ice Beam!" she ordered.

He quickly used Ice Beam, and the numerous Aqua Rings surrounding Manaphy were frozen solid and created a cage-like structure around him, which protected him from the Pin Missile attack. May was quick to use this to her advantage.

"Manaphy, pick up the pins and throw them back with Psychic!"

And Manaphy did just that, sending Cacturne's attack right back at it. Harley didn't have time to counter it as the reflected Bug-Type attack struck Cacturne, doing critical damage to the Grass/Dark-Type Pokémon and knocking it out, securing May's victory.

"And the winners of the Mistralton City Pokémon Contest are May Maple and Manaphy, the Princess of Hoenn and the Prince of the Sea!"

The crowd roared their approval as Manaphy joyfully jumped into May's arms.

"You did so well, Manaphy! You make me so proud!" May exclaimed, hugging her little Manaphy lovingly.

"Happy! Mama win! Love you!" the Water-Type cheered in response.

"Love you too!" May replied, planting a kiss on Manaphy's cheek.

Harley simply glowered at May as she received her Contest ribbon. Clearly, being beaten in Johto hadn't been enough to get rid of her.

_Oh well, looks like next time I'll just have to resort to my other… tactics_, Harley thought, grinning maliciously as he turned away.

No sooner had May stepped off the stage than Ash rushed over and pulled her into a hug, which was quickly followed by a kiss.

"Geez, Ash! It's not _that_ big of a deal!" May laughed as they broke away from the kiss.

"But do I really need an excuse?" Ash grinned.

May returned the grin as she replied, "Nope, I guess you don't." And with that, she grabbed Ash by his shirt collar and yanked him back into another kiss.

After things had settled down a bit, everyone decided it was high time to head out.

"Well, I'd say that went pretty well," Ash remarked as the group prepared to depart. "You won your Contest, I got my Badge, and we only had to put up with one old rival in the process."

"Unfortunately, one that's annoying enough to count for two," May replied. This earned nods of agreement from Cilan and Iris, who had already had quite enough of May's rival and hoped no more of May and Ash's enemies would pop up.

And so, the group was in high spirits as they departed from Mistralton City, headed into their next adventure on their way to Icirrus City.

* * *

**Yes, I know I took slightly longer than usual getting this chapter done. But then again, the chapter itself is slightly longer than usual, so I hope this balances things out a bit.**

**Just to give everyone a heads-up, I may or may not be taking a bit of a hiatus. I've got some personal issues to deal with, so I don't know when I'll be back. If I take too long, I'll have someone else take over writing till I return, so don't be too alarmed if the quality of the fic changes next chapter.**

**Until then, amigos! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

* * *

Chapter 6: A Clubsplosive Confrontation (Part 1)

"Aw, for the love of Arceus," Ash grumbled as he climbed out of the canal, soaking wet.

"Pi-kaaa…" Pikachu agreed, also soaked to the bone.

Meanwhile, Bianca was apologizing profusely after yet again having knocked Ash and Pikachu into the nearest body of water in her rush to meet up with the group just outside of Ambiga Town.

"With Bianca around, maybe you should just start wearing your swimming trunks everywhere," May giggled as she dried Pikachu off.

"Mana, Ma-na-phi," Manaphy added.

"I like Manaphy's suggestion better," Ash replied.

"Which was…?" Iris asked.

"That Bianca should slow down and look where she's going every now and again," Ash said, pointedly directing his reply towards Bianca, who looked embarrassed and continued apologizing as sweat drops formed on her head.

After all the antics were sorted out, Bianca explained why she was in such a rush; she was on her way to the Clubsplosion Battle tournament.

"Hey, that's where we're headed!" May replied. "Ash thought it would be a good idea to train for his next Gym battle, and the rest of us got onboard with the idea as well."

"We may as well all go and register together," Ash said. "Provided, of course, that Bianca walks _ahead _of the rest of us," he added, causing the target of his discontent to look embarrassed again.

A few minutes later, the group was waiting in line outside the Clubsplosion stadium, where May got acquainted with Ash's latest rival.

"Hey, Trip," Ash greeted his rival, who turned to look at the group.

"Well, look who it is," he said, regarding Ash and the group almost disdainfully before noticing May.

"And who might this be?" he asked, looking her and Manaphy over.

"This is my girlfriend, May," Ash replied.

"Nice to meet you," May said with a smile, still trying to be courteous despite Trip's attitude.

Trip just gave a small sneer as he sarcastically replied, "How sweet. Your girlfriend followed you here all the way from the boonies."

"For your information, she's not even from the same region as me!" Ash shot back.

"Judging by that Pokémon she has," Trip replied, gesturing towards Manaphy, "it's still gotta be out in the boonies somewhere. Don't tell me you're going to enter the Clubsplosion using _that _pathetic-looking excuse for a Pokémon."

"Why _shouldn't_ I enter with Manaphy?" May retorted, petting her small Water-Type reassuringly as he certainly did not like being insulted.

"Well, to start with, it looks like my Pokémon could easily flatten it," Trip replied, producing a Poké Ball and releasing a muscular, bipedal reddish-brown Pokémon with purple bands wrapping around its shoulders and chest. In its hands were two massive concrete pillars.

"Whoa…" Ash breathed, scanning the Pokémon with his Pokédex.

_***Conkeldurr, the Muscular Pokémon and the evolved form of Gurdurr. Conkeldurr uses concrete pillars like canes, tossing them with ease.***_

"Looks pretty powerful," Bianca commented, admiring the final evolution of Timburr.

"If you want my advice, ditch those Pokémon from the boonies and find some real Fighting-Type Pokémon," Trip said smugly, returning his Conkeldurr. "Not that you'd stand a chance anyway. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a tournament to sign up for."

He turned and walked off, with Ash glaring angrily after him.

"Well, he seems pleasant enough," May remarked sarcastically.

"Just ignore him," Ash said. "He's so full of himself, it's not even funny. I'd definitely enjoy taking him down a peg or two."

"With who?" asked Cilan.

Ash thought for a moment, trying to think of a good Fighting-Type.

"I know just the right Pokémon!" he exclaimed. "Scraggy, you're up!"

Ash threw a ball, calling out his Dark/Fighting-Type Shedding Pokémon.

"Scra-ggy!" the small orange-and-white Pokémon announced proudly as May took out her Pokédex and aimed it at the Pokémon.

_***Scraggy, the Shedding Pokémon. The lower half of Scraggy's body is covered by a tough rubbery skin and when someone makes eye contact it responds with Headbutt.***_

"Seems like a good choice," May said, to which Ash nodded.

"You bet he is! He's always looking for a fight, so now he's got one!" Ash replied with a grin. "So who are you going to enter with, May?"

"I wasn't sure at first," May responded, "But after that Trip guy's remarks, I just _have_ to enter with Manaphy!"

"Happy!" Manaphy cheered, excited to be competing in another competition.

"You really think he's up to it?" Iris asked skeptically.

"Sure I do!" May replied. "That guy needs a _serious_ attitude adjustment. Maybe being beaten by my 'pathetic-looking' Pokémon will teach him some humility. Besides, Manaphy knows more than just Water and Ice-Type moves; he also knows Psychic and Fairy-Type moves, both of which are effective against Fighting-Types."

/-/-/

"Welcome one and all to the Clubsplosion tournament!" announced Don George, the owner of the Ambiga Town's Battle Club as the contestants stood in the arena waiting for the tournament to begin.

"Now for the grand prize," Don George continued, "The winner of the event will receive three exceedingly rare items; a Key Stone, a Mega Bracelet, and a Mega Stone for the Pokémon of their choice!"

The crowd roared their excitement over the evidently-important items, but Ash and most of the others were left scratching their heads.

"Huh, I've never heard of any of those," Ash said.

"Neither have I," Iris agreed.

"I have," Cilan chimed in. "I've never seen it, but supposedly a Mega Stone allows the Pokémon holding it to undergo Mega Evolution."

"What's 'Mega Evolution'?" Ash asked.

"It's a process in which a Pokémon can temporarily become more powerful by evolving past its final evolved form."

"That sounds like it would come in handy," May said, already wondering which of her Pokémon might be capable of Mega Evolution.

"And like it could be dangerous in the wrong hands," Ash added. "I can't believe they would just hand this thing out as a prize."

"Good luck, and may the best trainer win," continued Don George. "Without further ado, the Clubsplosion Battle Tournament is now underway!"

Everyone turned their attention to the screen as the first round match-ups were announced. Of the group, May was matched up with a trainer named Edmund, Cilan with Flora, Ash with Angus, Iris with Cilan's rival Burgundy, and Bianca with Trip.

"Don George and I will be providing commentary on all the action in what is sure to be a heart-stopping event!" announced the co-host Freddy 'The Scoop' as May and Edmund took up their positions on the battlefield.

"Now let's get the first battle started!" the co-host continued. "On the left, we have the rain man, Edmund! And to the right, we have the can-do Coordinator, May!"

"Remember, trainers are only allowed to use the Pokémon they chose beforehand," the host finished – just as dark rainclouds appeared and rain began to fall. "Edmund isn't called 'the rain man' for nothing! It rains whenever he battles, and this battle is no exception!"

Though May was a little unnerved by her opponent, she was not going to be discouraged as she called out her Pokémon child.

"Manaphy, on stage!" she called, prompting Manaphy to leap from her shoulder and take his position on the field with an eager look on his face.

"Time to rain on their parade, Seismitoad!" Edmund called, releasing a Pokémon that resembled a bulky, bipedal toad covered in pale-green bumps.

May pulled out her Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon.

_**Seismitoad, the Vibration Pokémon and the evolved form of Palpitoad. By vibrating the bumps on its fists, Seismitoad increases its power, pulverizing a boulder with a single punch.**_

_Hmmm… it's not a Fighting-Type_, May thought. _Oh well, we'll just have to improvise._

"Let the battle begin!" the referee announced.

"Manaphy, use Energy Ball!" May commanded, hoping to gain a Type advantage over the opposing Water/Ground-Type with the Grass-Type move.

Manaphy acknowledged the order with a nod of his head before firing a green ball of energy at Seismitoad.

With unexpected speed, Seismitoad darted quickly to the side, easily avoiding the Energy Ball.

"What the…!?" Ash exclaimed from the sidelines.

"Seismitoad is a lot faster than it looks," Iris commented.

Back on the field, May and Manaphy were both also astounded at the bulky Pokémon's speed, until Edmund began explaining with an unsettling grin on his face.

"Seismitoad has the Swift Swim ability," he said. "When it rains, his speed increases."

"Now, time for my counterattack," Edmund continued. "Seismitoad, Drain Punch!"

"Dodge it, Manaphy, and use Psychic!" May commanded. The Seafaring Pokémon obeyed, narrowly avoiding Seismitoad's powered-up fist before releasing his powerful telekinetic attack, which knocked Seismitoad back.

"Psychic-Types don't scare us!" Edmund asserted confidently. "Seismitoad, use Payback!"

Seismitoad obediently used the Dark-Type move. It connected and threw Manaphy back a little, but Edmund was surprised that it hadn't done the kind of damage he was hoping for.

"Unfortunately for you, Manaphy isn't a Psychic-Type," May said with a devious smile. "Manaphy, let's wrap this up with Grass Knot!"

"Ma-na-phi!" Manaphy cheered as he executed the attack. Glowing blades of grass sprouted near Seismitoad's feet before wrapping around his legs, causing him to lose his balance.

"C'mon, Seismitoad! Break free of it!" Edmund urged his Vibration Pokémon.

Despite his best efforts, Seismitoad lost his footing and fell in defeat, swirls in his eyes.

"Seismitoad is unable to battle! Manaphy wins, so May will be advancing to round two!" the referee announced.

"Nice work, Manaphy!" May said as her small Water-Type happily leapt back into her arms. They headed up onto the balcony to rejoin the group as highlights from the battle flashed across the screen.

"Awesome battle, guys!" Ash said with a grin as they came over. "You did a great job out there, Manaphy!"

"Pi-ka pi-ka!" Pikachu agreed.

"Ma-na, phi-mana papa?" Manaphy asked.

"Yeah," Ash chuckled, patting Manaphy's head. "Papa's proud of you."

Manaphy smiled back, before yawning and starting to fall asleep in May's arms.

"He looks a little winded," Bianca commented.

"Well, he _is_ still just a baby after all," May replied with a smile as she held the now-sleeping Pokémon in her arms.

"A _baby_!?" said a very unwelcome voice as Trip walked over, a smug grin on his face. "You expect to win the Clubsplosion using an inexperienced baby Pokémon that isn't even a Fighting-Type? If that wasn't so funny, I'd be insulted to even be in the same tournament as you."

"Get lost, Trip!" Ash snapped angrily.

"Seriously, what is your problem?" May asked, beginning to get angry as well. "I just met you today, and you've done nothing but lord yourself over me, my boyfriend, and my Pokémon. Just lose the attitude already."

"If you can't handle my 'attitude', then maybe you both should just take your pathetic excuses for Pokémon and go back to the boonies where you belong," Trip retorted.

May was about to respond, but another voice spoke up before she could say anything.

"And maybe _you_ should stop acting like a self-important prick," said the tall, green-haired Clubsplosion champion named Montgomery.

"Who asked you?" Trip replied angrily.

Ignoring him, Montgomery continued: "You talk and act like you're already assured of your victory, and you haven't even passed round one yet."

"She," he went on, pointing at May, "has already proven herself. You haven't. For all we know, you might not even make it to the second round. And if you do, she and her Pokémon might just take you down."

"You honestly think that puny little thing is a match for Conkeldurr?" Trip asked skeptically, releasing his Muscular Pokémon to show off.

"Who knows? Bigger doesn't necessarily mean better," Montgomery replied. "And even if you make it past round one, you'll never get past me and my Pokémon."

With that, Montgomery sent out a red, humanoid Pokémon whose body appeared to be made of brick. It wore a white Judogi tied off with a black belt.

Ash quickly pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the Fighting-Type.

_***Throh, the Judo Pokémon. Throh is driven by an irresistible urge to throw larger opponents. A wild Throh uses vines to make a belt, which increases its power when tightened.***_

"Well, better than anything _those _two could offer," Trip replied as he jerked his head towards Ash and May, earning a glare from both. "But it still doesn't stand a chance against Conkeldurr."

"Don't forget who you're talking to," Montgomery growled, beginning to lose his composure. "I hold the title of Clubsplosion champion, and I don't intend to lose it to a pompous, conceited punk like you!"

"Whatever. I don't care what you say, the prize is as good as mine anyways," Trip responded, shrugging him off as he turned and walked away with his Conkeldurr.

"Thanks for getting him off our backs," May said, bowing slightly.

Montgomery nodded curtly, but maintained a reserved expression as he replied.

"Whatever. Just don't think I'm on your side or anything. I don't expect to lose to either of you. You're just more respectable than that jackass."

"Anyone is more respectable than him," Ash said. "I just hope I'm the one who gets to wipe that smug look off his face."

"I'd like a crack at him, too," May agreed, furious at having her Pokémon insulted and being said to be 'from the boonies'.

Meanwhile, on the field, Cilan and Pansage had already begun their battle with Flora and her Gothorita.

"Alright Pansage, use bite!" the Connoisseur ordered his Grass-Type Pokémon.

"Gothorita, dodge it and use Double Slap!" Flora commanded her Psychic-Type Manipulate Pokémon. Gothorita successfully dodged the incoming attack, sending Pansage crashing to the ground. This was quickly followed up with a pair of slaps to the Grass Monkey Pokémon's face.

"Don't you dare lose this, Cilan!" shouted Cilan's Pokémon Connaisseuse rival, Burgundy. "You can't lose to anyone but me! You hear!?"

"Ignore her, Cilan!" May called. "Just focus!"

Cilan nodded in response before evaluating his opponent's Pokémon.

"Hmmm… your Gothorita's taste in battle is a strong blend of speed and technique," he began. "But it's missing a vital ingredient in terms of power, so why don't I spice things up a bit?"

"Pansage, Solar Beam!" Cilan called. Pansage obediently fired a bright white stream of solar energy at the opposing Gothorita.

"Gothorita, counter it with Psyshock!" Flora instructed. Gothorita complied, and the two attacks collided and kicked up a cloud of dust over the battlefield.

"Pansage, follow up with Dig!" Cilan yelled. Pansage quickly burrowed beneath the soil, only to reappear and deliver a powerful uppercut to his Psychic-Type opponent before Flora could make a move. Gothorita fell to the ground, clearly knocked out.

"Gothorita is unable to continue! Pansage wins, so the winner is Cilan!" announced the ref.

The crowd cheered as Cilan and Pansage both smiled and waved.

"Thank you, thank you! A refreshing battle, indeed!" Cilan said, grinning proudly.

"Paaan!" Pansage agreed.

"What an arrogant, stuck-up, cocky-!" Burgundy again began ranting.

"Dear Arceus, would you kindly shut up?" groaned Iris's 'Dragon Buster' rival, Georgia, prompting Burgundy to glare daggers at her.

"Looks like I'm up," Ash said, readying Scraggy's Poké Ball.

"Good luck, Ash," May said as the two exchanged a quick peck on the lips.

"Ma-na, papa," Manaphy said sleepily, having just woken up to watch his 'father'.

"Manaphy wishes you luck, too," May giggled as she put Manaphy back on her shoulder.

"Won't even need it," Ash replied with a confident grin as he headed down to the field.

"Time to move on to the third match!" announced the co-host. "On the left, we have Ash, the fiery-spirited trainer! And on the right, we have Angus, whose moves are as unique as his hairstyle!"

"Go get 'em, Ash!" Iris cheered.

"You've got this!" Cilan also cheered.

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu agreed from May's other shoulder.

"Battle begin!" shouted the ref.

"Scraggy, use Leer!" Ash quickly ordered. His Dark/Fighting-Type Pokémon quickly used the attack… on the wrong target. Confused due to the fact that Angus and Simisage sported similar pompadours, Scraggy was currently Leering threateningly at the opposing trainer, rather than his Pokémon.

Unfazed, Angus merely fixed his hair before ordering Simisage to use Seed Bomb.

The Thorn Monkey Pokémon obediently formed a large, glowing green seed between its hands and launched it at Scraggy.

"Quick! Dodge it, Scraggy!" Ash commanded. Scraggy quickly jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the Seed Bomb, which exploded upon impact with the ground and left behind a cloud of black smoke.

"Simisage, use Low Sweep when it lands!" Angus ordered. Simisage charged forward and prepared to deliver a low blow as Scraggy landed.

"Scraggy, block it! Hurry!" Ash shouted. Scraggy yanked up the loose skin around his legs, shielding him from the Low Sweep attack. Simisage's kick connected, but left Scraggy unharmed other than sending him skidding back a few feet.

"Great job, Scraggy!" Ash commended the Shedding Pokémon.

"Simisage, use Shadow Claw! Don't give him a chance to rest!" Angus shouted. The Grass-Type executed the Dark-Type attack, causing a shadowy claw to stretch across the ground towards Scraggy.

"Dodge it and use Headbutt!" Ash countered. Unfortunately for him, Simisage easily dodged the Normal-Type move.

After a few more minutes of this dodge-and-miss routine, Angus was determined to land a hit.

"Simisage, use Low Sweep! And don't let Scraggy block it this time!" he ordered.

Simisage again charged towards Scraggy, making sure to bring its foot down on Scraggy's loose skin and preventing him from blocking the incoming attack.

_Crap_, Ash thought, grimacing as Simisage's kick sent Scraggy sliding back across the field.

"Uh-oh, Scraggy might be in trouble," May said worriedly, prompting Pikachu, Manaphy, and Axew to nod their heads in agreement as everyone's eyes remained fixed on the battle.

Back on the field, Scraggy was recovering as he steadily got back onto his feet, glaring defiantly at his opponent.

"Keep up the pressure, Simisage! Use Giga Impact!" Angus said. Simisage became enveloped in a bright aura of energy as it launched itself towards Scraggy with plenty of force.

"Counter it with Hi Jump Kick!" Ash yelled out. Scraggy leapt into the air and brought his foot around, intending to pay Simisage back in kind for the Low Sweep kick he had received earlier.

Simisage couldn't slow down in time as its face met Scraggy's foot, sending the Thorn Monkey Pokémon crashing to the ground.

"Alright! Way to go, Scraggy!" Iris exclaimed from the sidelines.

"Keep going, Ash! You've got this in the bag!" May cheered.

"Pika, pi-ka-chu!" Pikachu enthusiastically agreed.

"Mana, mana!" Manaphy happily chimed in.

"Scraggy, use Hi Jump Kick again! Let's turn the tables!" Ash commanded.

Scraggy once again leapt into the air and headed straight towards Simisage with his foot extended. Simisage dodged out of the way at the last second, however, and Scraggy slammed into the ground.

When the dust settled, Scraggy could be seen moaning and writhing on the ground, clutching his leg in pain.

"Ooooh, that had to hurt," May said, wincing. The three Pokémon all nodded their heads in agreement, sympathizing with their injured comrade.

"Scraggy! Are you OK?" Ash shouted worriedly.

"Scra- Scra-ggy," Scraggy moaned in response, still writhing around in pain.

"Alright Simisage, don't stop using Low Sweep. No mercy!" Angus instructed his Grass-Type.

With single-minded brutality, Simisage unleashed an unrelenting barrage of Low Sweep kicks on the downed Scraggy.

"This isn't looking good for Ash and Scraggy," Iris commented in a concerned tone.

"Ax-ew-xew," Axew agreed.

"Alright Simisage, I guess he's had enough punishment," Angus said. "Finish this up with Giga Impact!"

Simisage flew towards Scraggy and prepared to strike him with all of its might, which would undoubtedly knock Scraggy out due to the amount of damage he had already sustained.

"C'mon Scraggy! Pull it together!" Ash urged his Shedding Pokémon. "You can do it, I know you can!"

Getting back on his feet, Scraggy slowly started forming a ball of bluish-white energy between his hands. The ball suddenly expanded into a massive pulse of energy, easily blocking Simisage's Giga Impact and sending the Thorn Monkey Pokémon flying back.

"Whoa…" Ash said under his breath, awed by Scraggy's unexpected display of power.

"Scraggy must've leaned Focus Blast!" May exclaimed.

"Pika-pika-chu!" Pikachu cheered.

"Keep going, guys! Don't let up!" May shouted.

"You heard her, Scraggy. Go after Simisage with Headbutt!" Ash ordered.

Scraggy raced forward as Simisage began to fall towards the ground. Once Simisage was close enough, Scraggy jumped up and performed a midair Headbutt attack, slamming Simisage into the ground and finally knocking it out.

"Simisage is unable to continue! Scraggy wins, so Ash is the winner!"

"Alright! We did it!" Ash cheered.

Back on the balcony, Ash rejoined the group, who congratulated him as Iris moved to the field for her match.

"Spectacular performance, Ash!" Cilan complimented. "I really thought Scraggy was finished for a minute, but he made quite the flavorful comeback!"

"That's Ash for you," May smiled, pecking Ash on the cheek as they took each other's hands. "He knows just how to keep things interesting!"

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu agreed, jumping back onto Ash's shoulder.

"Ma-na! Phi!" Manaphy cheerfully concurred from May's shoulder.

With that, the group turned to watch Iris fight the next of what would be a great many battles before the tournament was through.

* * *

**I guess my hiatus is over, but I still have some personal issues that I'm dealing with. I'll keep writing in my free time, but don't expect updates to come as often as they used to.**

**Despite the hiatus, I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway. As always, please leave reviews, suggestions, and feedback, and I will see you all next chapter! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

* * *

Chapter 7: A Clubsplosive Confrontation (Part 2)

"Oh man, this isn't looking good for Bianca," Ash commented glumly.

"Not at all," May agreed.

"Pika," Pikachu added, followed by a "mana" of agreement from Manaphy as both Pokémon expressed their disappointment with the impending outcome of the current battle.

Bianca and Trip had been battling it out now for almost 20 minutes, with both trainers putting up a fierce competition. Bianca's Emboar had started out strong, but soon became locked in a stalemate before Trip's Conkeldurr began making a swift comeback.

"Bianca doesn't stand a chance," Iris remarked pessimistically.

"Come on, guys. We should try to be a little more supportive than this," Cilan offered half-heartedly. But even he had to admit that Bianca was done; Trip was more or less toying with her at this point.

"Emboar, use Flamethrower!" Bianca ordered, desperate just to land a hit. Doing as he was told, Emboar released a scorching blast of fire at his Fighting-Type opponent.

"Block it, Conkeldurr!" Trip countered. Using the stone pillars he carried as a makeshift shield, Conkeldurr easily deflected the Fire-Type attack.

"Alright Conkeldurr, we've had our fun," Trip said, deliberately yawning in a bored fashion. "Let's wrap this up. Use Stone Edge."

"Dodge it, Emboar!" Bianca urged her Mega Fire Pig Pokémon as the hail of jagged rocks from the Stone Edge attack came flying towards him.

But it was over. Emboar was far too exhausted to continue. He made a half-hearted attempt to avoid Conkeldurr's Stone edge, before finally succumbing to the Rock-Type move.

"Emboar is unable to continue! Conkeldurr wins, so the winner is Trip!"

The crowd cheered as Trip returned his Conkeldurr. He shot a self-satisfied grin at Bianca, who promptly turned away and angrily stormed off.

"And that wraps up round one of the Clubsplosion!" announced Don George as Trip's picture was broadcast on the screen. "Round two will begin tomorrow, trainers. So make sure you're Pokémon are all rested up and ready to go!"

Meanwhile, a rather downcast Bianca rejoined the group, who tried to reassure her that she gave it her best shot. This was a little difficult, considering the fact that she was the only one of the group who didn't move on to the second round.

"Cheer up, Bianca. It's not the end of the world," Ash said. "Emboar performed really well, and it shows how well you've trained him. And you should be proud of yourself for that!"

"I know, it's just… why did I have to lose to _him_!?" Bianca roared. "His attitude pisses me off SO MUCH! He just never shuts up about how awesome he thinks he is, and-!"

"We know, we know," Ash said, trying to calm Bianca down. "Believe me, I think we all want to have a crack at him."

"No argument there," May agreed. "I barely said anything to the guy, and he immediately started belittling Manaphy and me."

"He does need a serious attitude adjustment," Iris said. "I just wonder who'll be the one to give it to him."

/-/-/

Rather than stay at the Pokémon Center that night, Ash sprung for a Pokémon-friendly hotel in downtown Ambiga Town. Seeing how nice the place was, May became a little alarmed.

"Ash, this place must cost a fortune!" she protested, especially seeing as how it was always free to stay in the Pokémon Center.

"It's actually not that bad," Ash replied. "I managed to get a discount. Besides, we're gonna be here for a little while until the tournament is over, so we may as well treat ourselves. Nothing's too good for you guys!" he finished, smiling at May and Manaphy.

"Ash, you know you don't have to do things like this to try and impress me," May sighed.

"Oh, come on!" Ash responded. "If a guy can't even treat his own girlfriend every once in a while, then what's the point?"

"Alright, alright," May conceded. "I just don't want to feel like you're wasting money on me."

"If it's spent on you, how could it be wasted?" Ash said, giving his irresistible winning grin.

"…You're a smooth talker, you know that?" May replied, moving forward as she and Ash locked lips.

"That's not all I'm smooth at," Ash replied, winking suggestively as they separated.

"Ash! Not in front of the kids!" May protested, though she couldn't help but smile and start to blush a little at Ash's innuendo.

"Alright, alright, fine!" Ash laughed. "We'll keep things clean, alright?"

"Good," May replied, though she felt her heartbeat quicken at the thought of… well… what it was that Ash had been hinting at.

After dinner, the couple and their Pokémon companions headed down to the hotel's indoor heated pool for a much-needed break after the day's action. Conveniently, they had the place to themselves, a fact which they took full advantage of. Everyone had fun, especially Manaphy, who was in his element. It felt good for the little Water-Type to be back in the water after having spent so much time out of it.

"Mana! Happy!" the Seafaring Pokémon cheered as he raced up and down the length of the pool, daring May and Ash to catch him. Even Pikachu got in on the act, jumping onto Manaphy's back and riding him around the pool.

May and Ash happily obliged their Pokémon child, playfully chasing Manaphy as he splashed and jumped around in the water. Finally, with perfect timing, Ash snagged Pikachu from Manaphy's back as the Water-Type leapt from the water and landed in May's arms, smiling broadly.

"Happy, happy!" he exclaimed, affectionately cuddling up to his mother.

"Manaphy, you are just too cute!" May laughed as Ash and Pikachu came over. "You just love to have fun, don't you?"

"Fun!" Manaphy squealed, nodding his head. "Happy fun!"

Manaphy then turned and reached for Ash, who swam over and took the little Pokémon into his arms.

"Papa! Happy! Love you!" Manaphy said sweetly, enjoying being in his father's arms as well. Ash and May both felt their hearts melt as they exchanged glances, seeing their son so happy and content to just be spending time as a family.

Any other time, Ash would have been training. He never passed up an opportunity to train, and he had wanted to train Scraggy in the use of his new move to be ready for the second round the next day. But at that moment, the thought didn't even cross his mind. Looking down at the small Pokémon that considered him its father, and staring into the eyes of the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, Ash truly felt complete. He felt that no loss or defeat, no matter how monumental, would ever matter to him so long as May, Manaphy, and Pikachu were by his side through all of it.

Ash had always been, first and foremost, a trainer. A competitor. An aspiring Pokémon Master. But now, he knew he was something more. For the first time, his obsession with training and battling was checked.

_This must be what it feels like to be a father_, he mused to himself, the thought making him smile even wider. _And someday, maybe I'll even know what it's like to be a husband._

The group dried off and returned to their room a few minutes later, eager to get some rest before another big day of battling tomorrow. The luxurious mattress felt heavenly to trainer and Pokémon alike as they fell asleep, with Pikachu curled up by Ash's feet and Manaphy squeezed snugly in between his parents.

/-/-/

"Welcome to day two of the Clubsplosion tournament, hosted by Don George of the Ambiga Town Battle Club!" announced the co-host as the second day of the tournament was about to get underway.

"Thank you," Don George replied. "Welcome to the second round of the Clubsplosion. If you would, please turn your attention to the main screen to see today's matchups."

All the competitors turned to intently watch the screen, anxious to see who would be facing whom.

"Alright Scraggy, be prepared to face anything," Ash said to his Dark/Fighting-Type Pokémon.

"Scrag," Scraggy replied with a determined expression.

"You too, Manaphy. Do your best, just like always," May said to her own Pokémon.

"Mana," Manaphy replied, nodding resolutely.

Finally, the trainer cards on the screen stopped shuffling as the matchups were revealed; May vs. Cilan, Ash vs. Betty, Georgia vs. Trip, and Iris vs. Montgomery.

"Looks like we're up first, May," Cilan said.

"Yeah, I guess we are," May replied nervously. Such a glaring Type disadvantage was definitely not in her favor. Nevertheless, she was going to give it her all.

"Good luck, both of you," Ash said, giving May a quick wink letting her know he was on her side.

May and Cilan nodded in response, before wishing each other luck and heading over to the battlefield.

"Please welcome our first two competitors!" Don George began as May and Cilan entered the field. "On the right, we have Striaton Gym Leader and Pokémon Connoisseur extraordinaire, Cilan!"

Cilan and Pansage stepped onto the field, bowing to the crowd as May was introduced.

"And on the left, we have the ambitious Pokémon Coordinator, whose title of 'Princess of Hoenn' is already well-known, give it up for May!"

May also stepped onto the field with Manaphy hanging from her shoulder as they both smiled and waved to the cheering crowd.

"Now trainers, begin!" shouted the ref.

"Pansage, use Bullet Seed!" Cilan ordered, eager to get the first hit in.

"Dodge it, Manaphy, and use Water Pulse!" May countered.

Manaphy successfully avoided the hail of green seeds coming towards him, before firing a ball of water at Pansage.

"Dodge and use Dig!" Cilan commanded.

Before the ball of water had a chance to reach him, Pansage swiftly burrowed beneath the ground and headed straight for Manaphy.

"Careful, Manaphy!" May warned her Seafaring Pokémon. "Watch for when Pansage surfaces, then be ready to dodge."

For a few tense seconds, Manaphy's eyes scanned his immediate vicinity. Finally, the Water-Type Pokémon was tipped off to Pansage's location as a small mound of dirt began to rise right in front of him.

"Now, Manaphy! Dodge and use Ice Beam!" May said quickly.

Reacting in a split second, Manaphy jumped away from the dirt mound just as Pansage emerged from the ground. He then proceeded to fire his Ice Beam attack, landing a direct hit on Pansage before the Grass-Type could even regain his footing.

Despite the super-effective damage inflicted on his Pokémon by Ice Beam, Cilan remained calm as he hurriedly called out his next move.

"Pansage, use Vine Whip!"

Thin green vines suddenly emerged from the palms of Pansage's hands. The Grass Monkey Pokémon firmly gripped the vines as he charged towards his Water-Type opponent, wildly swinging the vines.

"Manaphy, dodge it!" May quickly ordered.

Manaphy tried to jump away, only to have one of Pansage's vines wrap around him, bringing the small Water-Type crashing to the ground.

"Manaphy! Are you okay? Can you keep going?" May asked, a concerned look on her face.

"Ma… na. Phi!" Manaphy responded positively as he got to his feet, still energetic despite taking some damage.

May breathed a sigh of relief as she made her next move.

"Manaphy, use Water Pulse and guide it with Psychic."

Complying, Manaphy formed a pulsating orb of water and launched it at Pansage.

"Dodge it!" Cilan barked.

Pansage quickly sidestepped the incoming ball of water. However, guided by Manaphy's Psychic, the Water Pulse immediately changed direction and headed towards Pansage. Although Pansage tried in vain to avoid it, the ball of water soon connected. Although it did not do much damage to its Grass-Type target, the Water-Type move did leave Pansage confused.

"Pansage, snap out of it and use Bite!" Cilan commanded.

Pansage leapt at Manaphy, but due to his confusion, ended up going way off-target and slamming into the ground face-first.

Not wasting a second, May was already issuing her next order.

"Manaphy, finish this up with Scald!"

The Seafaring Pokémon instantly obeyed, spraying a jet of boiling water at his Grass-Type opponent. The attack landed a direct hit, bringing Pansage crumpling to the ground.

"Pansage is unable to continue! The winner is May!"

"Great work, Manaphy!" May said to her Pokémon child, who cheerfully jumped back onto her shoulder.

"You did great, Pansage. You've earned a nice long rest," Cilan said, returning Pansage to his Pokéball. He then went over to congratulate May.

"Great battle, May!" he said, holding out his hand and smiling. "You and Manaphy make a great team. The way Manaphy combines the flavors of two different moves like that always makes for a victorious taste."

"Thanks, Cilan!" May replied as she shook his hand, returning his smile. "You and Pansage did great, too. You really inspired him to keep going right to the end."

"Mana-mana-phi!" Manaphy agreed, cutely extending one of his own flipper-like arms towards Cilan, who gently shook it with a smile.

"Thank you, thank you both," the Connoisseur replied as they both headed back to where Iris was waiting. Ash was already on the move, heading towards the battlefield for his match as he and his opponent, Betty, were being introduced. He passed May on the way, who gave him a reassuring wink and a smile, which he returned with a grin and a determined nod of his head.

Once Ash had taken his place on the battlefield, he looked his opponent's Pokémon over. It bore some resemblance to the Simisage he had faced in round one, but was blue in color and had long hair which hung down around its face. He took out his Pokédex and aimed it at the unfamiliar Pokémon.

_***Simipour, the Geyser Pokémon and the evolved form of Panpour. Simipour can demolish a concrete wall with the pressurized water it shoots from its tail.***_

"Whoa…" Ash muttered to himself, impressed by the Water-Type's power.

"Trainers, begin!" shouted the ref.

"This'll be over before it begins," Betty said with a smirk on her face. "Panpour, use Aqua Tail!"

"Block it with Hi Jump Kick!" Ash countered. Scraggy met the stream of water in midair with his attack as neither Pokémon was backing down. Seeing that they were evenly matched, both Pokémon broke off their attacks and awaited new orders.

"This might not be as easy as I thought," Betty commented, before issuing her next order.

"Panpour, use Brick Break!"

Panpour began sprinting straight towards Scraggy, but Ash was quick enough to counter it.

"Scraggy, block it!" he commanded.

Scraggy quickly yanked the loose skin around his legs up past his neck and held it firmly in place. This shielded Scraggy from damage as Panpour's fist slammed into the Shedding Pokémon's chest. Ash was quick to follow it up as he gave his next command.

"Counterattack with Focus Blast!"

Scraggy proceeded to form a blue ball of energy between his hands before throwing it at Simipour. Unfortunately, the ball merely zigzagged through the air for a moment before falling to the ground and fizzling out pathetically.

_OK, in retrospect, I probably should've spent at least a little time training last night_, Ash thought, looking embarrassed.

"That was almost painful to watch," Betty taunted. "Let's just get this over with before he embarrasses himself again. Use Acrobatics!"

Simipour executed the Flying-Type attack, dealing significant damage to Scraggy as he was knocked off his feet.

"Uh-oh. This isn't looking too good," Iris remarked.

"It's not over yet. Ash will make a comeback, he always does," May replied assuredly, earning nods of agreement from both Pikachu and Manaphy.

Back on the field, Ash was urging his Dark/Fighting-Type Pokémon to continue.

"C'mon Scraggy, we need to get back in this thing! Use Leer!"

At his trainer's command, Scraggy glared threateningly at Simipour, causing the Geyser Pokémon to recoil in fear as its Defense was lowered.

"Come on, show some backbone!" Betty said, reprimanding Simipour. "Use Brick Break!"

"Use Headbutt!" Ash countered.

Both Pokémon rushed at each other, using their respective moves. Being evenly matched, the two found themselves locked in a stalemate as neither was backing down.

"Come on, Scraggy, you can do it!" Ash said, cheering his Pokémon on.

Hearing Ash's words of encouragement, Scraggy put every last bit of strength he had into the Headbutt attack. Finally, he managed to overpower Simipour, sending the Water-Type flying back.

"Quick, use Hi Jump Kick!" Ash ordered, pressing his advantage.

Leaping into the air, Scraggy extended his foot and came crashing down on his opponent, kicking up a cloud of dust. When the dust settled, Simipour was lying on its back, clearly knocked out.

"Simipour is unable to continue! The winner is Ash!"

"We did it, Scraggy!" Ash cheered.

"Scrag-scra-ggy!" Scraggy happily agreed while Ash's advancement to the semi-finals was announced.

Ash returned Scraggy to his Pokéball before heading back to rejoin his friends in the stands.

"Great battle, Ash!" Cilan said.

"Yeah, but you were cutting it a little close, don't you think?" May asked with a small laugh as she gave Ash a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hey, I gotta keep things interesting!" Ash replied, grinning roguishly. "At least this means we've both made it to the semi-finals."

"I just hope we don't end up facing each other," May responded.

"Now _that_ would be something to see," Trip chimed in unwelcomely as he passed the group, heading down to the field for his match against Georgia. "Watching each of you trying to out-loser the other would be pretty hilarious."

May whipped around angrily and was ready to give Trip an earful, but Ash put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head, giving her the 'he's not worth it' look.

May sighed, but backed down. She knew that Ash was right, that this wasn't the right time. After Trip had been defeated, _then_ they would both give him one hell of a telling off.

Unfortunately, it would have to wait. Just a few minutes later, Trip returned with a triumphant smile on his face after having easily defeated Georgia's Bisharp.

"Too easy!" Trip loudly boasted. "Facing a Fighting-Type with a Steel-Type? She should've seen this coming."

"Smug bastard," Iris mumbled under her breath as she prepared for her upcoming match against Mongomery.

"What was that?" Trip asked, glaring at Iris.

"Oh, nothing," she responded. "Just commenting on how hopelessly in-love you are with yourself. It's actually kinda sad."

Trip was about to retort but, seeing as how Iris was already moving towards the field and out of earshot, kept quiet as he turned and walked past the group.

"Alright Excadrill, use Drill Run!" Iris yelled as the match began.

Excadrill obediently folded into his drill form and shot through the air, heading straight for Throh.

"Stop him with Circle Throw," Montgomery coolly ordered.

Throh easily caught the Subterrene Pokémon and threw it backwards over his head, sending Excadrill crashing to the ground.

_How did he do that!?_ Iris wondered.

"That's one powerful Fighting-Type," May commented.

"I know," Ash agreed. "It looked like Throh didn't even break a sweat!"

"Ax-ax-ew," Axew agreed.

"Mana-mana," Manaphy also agreed.

Back on the field, Excadrill was struggling to recover as he got to his feet.

"Alright, we're gonna try this again," Iris began. "Use Dig!"

Excadrill quickly tunneled underground and headed towards Throh.

"Use Superpower," Montgomery countered.

Suddenly bulking up significantly, the Judo Pokémon slammed its fists into the ground. The resulting seismic shock wave violently uprooted the soil, tossing Excadrill right out of his tunnel and onto the surface.

"Oh no," Iris moaned. This Pokémon was unbelievably powerful!

"Seismic Toss. Finish it," Montgomery ordered Throh, seemingly bored.

Throh executed the move and, just like that, the match was over.

"Excadrill is unable to continue! The winner is Montgomery!"

As the crowd cheered and applauded, Iris was left staring agape at the show of power Throh had put on. She hadn't landed a single hit, and Throh didn't look like it was exerting itself at all!

"Arceus help whichever one of us has to face _him_ tomorrow," Ash said.

"Pi-ka-pi," Pikachu added.

"I'll say!" Iris agreed as she rejoined the group. "I didn't get a single hit in!"

"Either way, you still put up a good fight," May replied. "All of us did. For that, I think we've earned a rest. We're going to need it for tomorrow."

As the group turned and began to depart from the stadium, May grabbed Ash's arm and pulled him close as she whispered into his ear.

"And you and I," she whispered seductively, "have earned a little… _alone time_… later on, after the kids are asleep."

Ash grinned widely upon hearing this. Judging by the tone of May's voice, he could take a pretty good guess as to what she had in mind.

* * *

**Gah. So many battles, so few synonyms for 'command'.**

**As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave plenty of comments and reviews. Please, don't be afraid to give me your honest feedback. If you loved it or hated it, if it made your day or completely ruined your week, please tell me! Constructive criticism is a writer's most valuable tool.**

**Until next time my friends, au revoir! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

* * *

Chapter 8: A Clubsplosive Confrontation (Part 3)

"Welcome, trainers, to the third and final day of the Clubsplosion Battle Tournament!" Don George announced as the four remaining trainers assembled in the stadium.

Everyone had fought hard and tried their best. But in the end, it came down to these four. Ash, May, Trip, and Montgomery. Only one would emerge victorious.

"So this is it," Ash muttered nervously. "Good luck, May."

"You too, Ash," May replied, reaching over and taking Ash's hand.

"Pika," Pikachu chimed in.

"Mana," Manaphy agreed.

"And may the best trainer win," Montgomery added.

"Don't worry, I plan to," Trip replied, earning an eye roll from the other three.

"Now if you'll turn your attention to the screen, we'll find out the semi-finals matchups," Don George continued.

Everyone's eyes turned towards the screen, where the four displayed trainer cards began to be shuffled. For a few nerve-wracking moments, all the trainers held their breaths as their eyes remained fixed to the screen.

Finally, the cards stopped moving.

The matchups were revealed.

Ash vs. Montgomery. May vs. Trip.

Ash's eyes widened as he gulped nervously. Blanching, he turned to look at his opponent's Throh, the imposing Pokémon looming over Scraggy.

Meanwhile, May and Manaphy both let out sighs of relief. As bad as May felt for Ash having to deal with Montgomery, she couldn't help also being secretly pleased; she had wanted to be the one to put Trip in his place, and now she had the chance.

Trip, however, was very vocal in his disapproval.

"Bullshit!" he growled angrily. "I wanted to destroy Ketchum!"

"Well, you'll just have to settle for me instead," May retorted.

"Whatever. It won't be as satisfying, but humiliating you will have to do," he replied, scowling.

"Now for our first match between Ash and the reigning champion, Montgomery!" Don George announced.

Ash took a deep breath and nodded reassuringly at Scraggy. He started towards the battlefield, but stopped momentarily as May briefly touched her lips to his.

"Good luck. We're all rooting for you," she said.

"Phi!" Manaphy agreed, wishing his papa luck as well.

"Pi-ka-chu!" Pikachu cheered, showing his own support.

"Hope you have better luck than I did," Iris added.

Ash grinned at all of them and gave May another quick kiss before heading off towards the battlefield, where Montgomery was already waiting.

"Trainers, begin!" shouted the ref as soon as Ash had taken his position.

"Scraggy, use Leer!" Ash ordered, hoping to gain an advantage by lowering Throh's Defense.

Scraggy slowly began approaching Throh, putting on his most intimidating face. Nevertheless, the imposing Fighting-Type Pokémon was not fazed. Crossing his arms, the Judo Pokémon gave a menacing glare of his own, which was enough to cause Scraggy to turn tail and run back to Ash.

_Crap_, Ash thought, _this isn't off to a great start._

"Keep at it, Scraggy! Don't let Throh scare you!" Ash said.

Scraggy continued using Leer, to no avail. Montgomery simply sighed and shook his head.

"You're wasting your time, as well as mine," he said as Throh gestured for Scraggy to come closer.

"What are you waiting for, Ash? Attack!" Iris called from the stands.

"Alright Scraggy, use Focus Blast!" Ash commanded.

Scraggy executed the move, launching a greenish-blue ball of energy at Throh. Unfortunately, the ball veered off-course at the last second, slamming into the stadium's wall.

"You probably should've said 'attack with anything other than Focus Blast," May muttered.

"Pi-ka-pi," Pikachu agreed, looking embarrassed for Ash.

Undaunted, Ash ordered Scraggy to keep using Focus Blast until he landed a hit.

Scraggy did as he was told, firing numerous orbs of energy at his opponent. Unsurprisingly, none of them hit anything but the wall.

"Nice fireworks display. Would you like to try actually _battling_ now?" Montgomery said sarcastically. "Throh, use Superpower."

Throh grunted in acknowledgement before advancing towards his Dark/Fighting-Type opponent.

"Scraggy, counter it with Hi Jump Kick! Now!" Ash shouted.

Scraggy leapt into the air, flying towards Throh with his leg extended. Only far too late did Ash notice the smirk on Montgomery's face.

"Just what I was hoping for," Montgomery said. "Use Circle Throw!"

Catching Scraggy out of midair, Throh performed his Circle Throw attack, tossing the Shedding Pokémon over his head and sending him crashing to the ground.

"Scraggy, get up! Use Headbutt! NOW!" Ash called frantically. Things were definitely not looking good for him, and he was beginning to lose his cool.

Scraggy obeyed, slamming headfirst into Throh, to very little effect. Throh simply grabbed Scraggy and, on his trainer's orders, threw him with Superpower. Scraggy crashed into the ground in front of Ash. Remarkably, he was still combat effective.

Seeing that Scraggy was recovering, Ash wasted no time making his next move.

"Scraggy, use Focus Blast!"

"Doesn't he ever learn?" Trip remarked, rolling his eyes.

"It's not over yet!" May replied. "Scraggy is so close to Throh, his Focus Blast just might hit this time!"

But those hopes were dashed as Scraggy's Focus Blast went sailing right past Throh and, once again, straight into the wall.

"Use Seismic Toss," Montgomery ordered.

Grabbing Scraggy, Throh launched himself high into the air before hurling his Dark/Fighting-Type opponent at the ground.

Ash flinched as he watched his Shedding Pokémon get slammed into the ground. He fully expected to see Scraggy knocked out as he looked towards the small crater that had been formed by Scraggy's impact.

What he found instead was a visibly battered but determined Scraggy rising from the ground, slowly but surely. And this was made all the more surprising by the fact that the small Pokémon was surrounded by a brilliant light.

"Scraggy's evolving!" Cilan exclaimed

"No way…" Iris muttered incredulously.

"This is the perfect chance for them to make a comeback!" May cheered.

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu added.

"Mana-phi!" Manaphy agreed.

Ash simply smiled in anticipation as he watched the evolution process take place.

Slowly, the glow faded, revealing the newly-evolved Pokémon. In Scraggy's place now stood a taller, slightly different-colored Pokémon sporting a red mohawk. More baggy skin was present around its legs and tail, and a patch of loose skin also hung from its shoulders.

"Scraf-ty!" the Pokémon announced triumphantly.

Ash hurriedly aimed his Pokédex at the Pokémon.

_***Scrafty, the Hoodlum Pokémon and the evolved form of Scraggy. Scrafty can use its powerful kicks to smash through concrete blocks. To protect itself, Scrafty can fold its loose skin around its waist.***_

_Hmm,_ Montgomery thought. _This just might turn out to be interesting after all._

"Well Scrafty, looks like you learned a new move," Ash said, putting away the Pokédex and turning his attention back to the battle. "Let's see if we can turn the tables. Use Low Sweep!"

Scrafty darted forward and delivered a powerful kick to Throh's legs before the Judo Pokémon could react. The sudden attack caught Throh by surprise as it lost its balance and toppled over.

"Follow it up with Hi Jump Kick!" Ash yelled.

Obediently, the Dark/Fighting-Type Hoodlum Pokémon leapt into the air and came crashing down a moment later on Throh's back as the Fighting-Type was still trying to get up.

"Throh, get up and use Circle Throw!" Montgomery ordered quickly. Ash noticed, with no small amount of satisfaction, that there was actually some urgency in the champion's voice.

Getting back on its feet, Throh approached Scrafty with extended arms and prepared to grab its Dark/Fighting-Type opponent. Ash waited until Throh had almost reached Scrafty before making his move.

_Man, I'm taking a hell of a risk with this_, Ash thought, before giving Scrafty his orders.

"Use Focus Blast!"

"Scraaaf-TY!" the Hoodlum Pokémon exclaimed, firing a bluish orb of energy straight into the gut of the incoming Pokémon.

"Yes! It finally worked!" Ash cheered. "Awesome job, Scrafty!"

"Scraf-scraft!" Scrafty replied happily.

But it wasn't over yet. Despite taking some serious damage, Throh was still battle-ready.

"Scrafty, use Hi Jump Kick!" Ash ordered confidently.

However, as Scrafty leapt into the air with his leg extended and headed for Throh, Ash noticed a grin on Montgomery's face. Only far too late did he realize how easily he had walked right into a counterattack.

"Use Bind!" Montgomery shouted.

Catching Scrafty, the Judo Pokémon proceeded to put his Dark/Fighting-Type opponent into a headlock before quickly receiving his next, and final, orders.

"Use Superpower!"

Obediently, Throh hurled Scrafty through the air with great force. The Hoodlum Pokémon crashed into the ground and slid to a stop right in front of Ash, who didn't even need to look to realize that the battle was over.

"Scrafty is unable to continue! The winner is Montgomery!"

Ash sighed, but accepted the loss as he turned towards his fallen Pokémon.

"You did great out there, Scrafty. Get some rest," he said, returning Scrafty to his Pokéball.

"That was a hell of a battle you put up," Montgomery commented as he passed Ash on his way back to the stands. "I have to admit, I was impressed."

"Thanks," Ash replied, smiling slightly at the compliment as he headed back towards his friends.

"Poor Ash and Scrafty," Iris sighed.

"Well, it was a good battle anyway!" Cilan said as Ash rejoined the group. "You really gave Montgomery and Throh a run for their money."

"Yeah," May added, giving Ash a kiss to comfort him. "Heck, the fact that Scraggy evolved and was able to keep going after all the punishment he had taken is impressive."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Ash replied, a smile returning to his face.

"Come on, already. I've got a tournament to win here," Trip said impatiently as he began to walk past the group on his way to the field.

"Will you quit acting like it's gonna be so damn _easy_!?" Ash snapped angrily. "You act like defeating a Legendary Pokémon is no challenge whatsoever!"

"Well I… wait, what? 'Legendary'? What 'Legendary'?" Trip asked, stopping dead in his tracks and turning to face Ash and May.

"You mean you, the Mighty Trip, didn't know that Manaphy is a Legendary Pokémon?" Ash replied sarcastically in a tone of mock-surprise.

"…I don't believe it," Trip responded. "That pitiful little thing can't possibly be a 'Legendary' anything."

"Well, it's true," Ash said. "Right, May?"

May hesitated but nodded uncomfortably, confirming Ash's statement. May didn't exactly want to go around advertising to everyone that she had a Legendary Pokémon. She didn't want to brag or rub it in anyone's face or anything. Besides, she didn't even think about Manaphy in those terms; Manaphy would always be her child first, and a Legendary Pokémon second.

As if the thought only just occurred to him, Trip quickly took out his Pokédex and scanned Manaphy.

_***Manaphy, the Seafaring Pokémon. It starts its life with a wondrous power that permits it to bond with any kind of Pokémon. Known as the Prince of the Sea, it is said to guard an ancient underwater temple.***_

For the first time, Trip's overconfidence seemed to waver. The smug grin fell from his face and, for just a fraction of a second, May thought she saw a look of genuine uncertainty on the boy's face.

But just as quickly, Trip regained his composure – and his arrogance.

"Well, whatever. Legendary or not, Conkeldurr is gonna roll right over it," he replied, a little less confidently than before.

As Trip started towards the battlefield, May turned quickly to speak with Ash.

"Ash, you know I don't like bragging about having a Legendary!"

"Would you relax, already?" Ash chuckled. "It probably made Trip nervous, which just might give you an edge."

"Yeah, alright," May replied, unconvinced. "Just don't make a habit of handing out that information. You never know who might be listening."

"Fine, fine," Ash sighed. "Now go on, May! You've got a battle to win. Good luck!"

"Maa-na!" Manaphy cheered.

"Good luck to you too, Manaphy," Ash added with a grin as he patted Manaphy's head.

May hurried over to the battlefield and quickly took her position, not wanting to further delay the match.

"Now trainers, begin!"

"Conkeldurr, use Bulk Up!" Trip ordered immediately. Conkeldurr obediently flexed its muscles as a faint red glow surrounded its body, indicating that both Conkeldurr's Attack and Defense stats had risen.

"Manaphy, use Heart Swap!" May commanded. Using his signature move, Manaphy raised his antennae, the ends of which had begun to glow pink. Small pink hearts appeared to pass between Manaphy and Conkeldurr for a moment, indicating that the changes to Conkeldurr's stats had been switched and given to Manaphy.

May grinned fiercely at Trip who, realizing he could not raise Conkeldurr's stats without being countered, was royally pissed.

"Alright Conkeldurr, use Stone Edge!"

"Send it back with Psychic!" May countered.

As the hail of stones from Stone Edge came flying towards Manaphy, he quickly used Psychic. A pinkish glow surrounded the stones, stopping them in midair. A second later, they were being launched straight back at Conkeldurr.

Although the reflected attack did little damage to its target, it did send a very clear message to Trip; Conkeldurr's ranged attacks were virtually useless. If Trip wanted to win this thing, he would have to get up close and personal.

"Conkeldurr, use Rock Smash!" Trip called.

Slamming its concrete pillars into the ground, Conkeldurr curled its right hand into a glowing fist. Conkeldurr then rushed towards its Water-Type opponent, pulling its arm back and preparing to swing.

"Manaphy, dodge and use Scald!" May ordered.

"Mana!" Manaphy acknowledged, jumping quickly away from Conkeldurr and firing a stream of boiling water at the Fighting-Type. The attack connected, leaving a faint red hue all over Conkeldurr's body, indicating that the Muscular Pokémon had been burned.

Conkeldurr recoiled as it let out a moan of pain caused by its burn. Gritting his teeth, Trip called out his next move.

"Use Strength!"

Conkeldurr charged forward, swinging its concrete pillars with surprising dexterity.

"Quick, Manaphy, dodge it and use Water Pulse!" May called.

As Conkeldurr swung one of its pillars forward in a sweeping motion, Manaphy leapt into the air and cleared it… before being nailed by the second pillar, which was being swung in the opposite direction.

The Seafaring Pokémon released a cry of pain as he flew through the air, crashing to the ground in front of May.

"Oh no," May breathed, hearing Manaphy's tiny whimpers as he shakily got to his feet and looked back at her.

"Aww, what's the matter? Is the little baby gonna go crying back to its mommy?" Trip taunted, laughing mockingly.

May's gaze turned ice-cold as she glared at Trip furiously. Trip wiped the smile from his face, actually intimidated by the intensity of May's glare.

Only one thought went through May's mind at that moment.

_You. Will pay. For that._

"Manaphy, use Water Pulse and guide it with Psychic," she ordered icily.

Manaphy immediately formed a ball of water and launched it at Conkeldurr. The orb of water was surrounded in a light glow, showing that it was being guided by Manaphy's Psychic.

"Block it, Conkeldurr!" Trip commanded.

Conkeldurr lifted its concrete pillars in front of itself, trying to form a shield to stop the Water Pulse attack. However, this attempt proved to be fruitless when Manaphy guided the Water Pulse over Conkeldurr's head and back around, hitting the Fighting-Type from behind. Much to Trip's chagrin, Conkeldurr became confused from the attack.

Without missing a beat, May was already calling her next move.

"Ice Beam, now!"

Manaphy complied, firing a cold blue beam at Conkeldurr.

Still confused from the Water Pulse attack, Conkeldurr could not shield itself in time and was struck by the Ice Beam and frozen solid.

_No, no, NO!_ Trip mentally screamed. _I will NOT lose to her!_

But the attacks were coming fast and furious, and Trip's massive Pokémon was just too slow to keep up.

"Conkeldurr, break free of it and use Low Sweep!" Trip shouted.

Conkeldurr made a visible effort to comply, but soon gave up as it remained frozen stiff.

"Hmm, Conkeldurr seems to be having a little trouble," May called across the field, grinning savagely. "Please, allow Manaphy and me to give you a hand!"

Taking the cue, Manaphy fired another Scald attack at his Fighting-Type opponent.

The attack landed a direct hit, defrosting Conkeldurr. Now able to move again, Conkeldurr reared back and roared in pain, still suffering from its previous burn.

"Will you just grow a pair and make yourself useful!?" Trip snarled harshly at his Pokémon. "Use Dynamic Punch!"

Setting its concrete pillars down, Conkeldurr balled both its hands into fists and came out swinging. However, now visibly exhausted, Conkeldurr's punches were slow and inaccurate, and were easily dodged by Manaphy.

"Alright Manaphy, let's finish this up in style! Use Dazzling Gleam!" May ordered.

"Ma-na-phi!" Manaphy cheered, having recovered from his earlier damage and become energetic once more.

An incredibly bright light was emitted from Manaphy's body, causing Trip and a few members of the audience to shield their eyes. The light shot straight towards Conkeldurr, striking the Fighting-Type Muscular Pokémon.

The light faded, revealing Conkeldurr still barely standing and leaning on its concrete pillars for support. The Pokémon wobbled from side to side for a moment, before falling forward onto the ground, knocked out.

"Conkeldurr is unable to continue! The winner is May!"

The crowd roared their approval as Manaphy happily jumped into May's arms. May hugged the little Water-Type closely, showering him with affection as they both headed back to rejoin the group.

Meanwhile, Trip just stared incredulously as he returned Conkeldurr. He couldn't believe he had lost like that. _How could I be beaten like this? HOW? _ he thought.

"Awesome battle, guys!" Ash exclaimed as May and Manaphy returned to the group. "You two are amazing!"

Grinning, Ash put his arms around May's waist and pulled her closer as he added, "…both on the battlefield, and off."

May blushed a bit, but didn't hesitate to lean in and wrap her lips around Ash's.

/-/-/

The trainers had been given a two-hour break to heal their Pokémon and have lunch, so the two lovers and their Pokémon retired to the hotel they were staying at. They made a quick stop at the Pokémon Center so Manaphy could be healed, then went to the hotel's café for lunch.

"Man, I just can't get over it!" Ash laughed, taking a bite out of his sandwich. "The look on Trip's face! It looked like he didn't know what hit him!"

"I know," May said, smiling at the small blue Pokémon seated in her lap. "Just goes to show that 'bigger' is not always 'better'. Right, Manaphy?"

"Mana, mana-phi!" Manaphy replied happily, nodding his head.

"Your performance was none too shabby, either. After Scraggy evolved and started making his comeback, I thought for sure you were going to win," May continued.

"Eh, I did alright," Ash replied. "It _is_ pretty awesome that Scraggy evolved, but you're the one who brought Trip down."

"Well, maybe being defeated by the 'inexperienced baby Pokémon' he spent so much time mocking will shrink that overinflated ego of his," May suggested as she fed Manaphy another spoonful of soup.

Ash just gave a noncommittal shrug as he replied, "Maybe. I wouldn't count on it, though. If I know Trip, he'll be back to acting like king of the universe in no time."

"Well, let's just forget about him," May said. "It isn't over yet. I still might not win the finals, after all you and Iris experienced firsthand just how powerful…"

"You have nothing to worry about," Ash interjected. "Montgomery relies on brute force, like most of the other contestants with Fighting-Types. You and Manaphy already showed that you know how to deal with that."

"Pi-pi-ka!" Pikachu agreed.

"Mana!" Manaphy said reassuringly, looking up at his mother with a smile of childlike optimism.

"…You're right. I shouldn't worry!" May said, picking up her Seafaring Pokémon and giving him a kiss. "With Manaphy helping me and you cheering me on, I can't lose!"

"That's the spirit!" Ash grinned.

/-/-/

"Welcome back, everyone!" Don George announced as the final round of the Clubsplosion was about to get underway. "So far, we've witnessed 14 heart-stopping battles showcasing strength, strategy, and style. Now it's time to see who is truly worthy of the Clubsplosion crown! So without further ado, please welcome our Clubsplosion finalists!"

"Good luck, guys," Ash said to May as the two exchanged a quick hug. "Make me proud."

"We will," May replied confidently.

"Mana-phi," Manaphy added with a reassuring nod. And with that, the two headed off to the field.

The crowd roared in excitement as the two finalists began to approach the battlefield to be introduced.

"On the left, we have the captivating Coordinator, May, and her Pokémon, Manaphy! This daring duo has shown remarkable determination against overwhelming odds, dispatching their opponents with a mixture of precision and style!"

The crowd applauded as May and Manaphy approached the field, smiling and waving.

"And on the right, we have the reigning Clubsplosion champ, Montgomery, and his Pokémon, Throh! These powerhouse partners have effortlessly plowed through the competition with sheer strength and brute force!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd as Montgomery gave a confident smile, while Throh locked his hands together and bowed to the audience.

Both trainers took their positions with their Pokémon, though Manaphy seemed a little hesitant at first.

"M-mana? Phi?" Manaphy asked, glancing at May nervously.

May couldn't blame him for being nervous. Throh was an intimidating Pokémon, both in size and strength.

"Don't worry, Manaphy," May replied with a gentle smile. "We can do this. Mama won't let anything happen to you."

Encouraged by his mother's reassuring words, Manaphy smiled and gave May a quick hug before leaping off her shoulder and taking his position on the battlefield.

"Now, trainers, begin!"

"Throh, use Brick Break!" Montgomery ordered. Throh's fist began to glow white, and May immediately moved to counter it.

"Manaphy, dodge it and use Bubble!" May called.

Manaphy quickly jumped out of the way just as Throh's fist was about to slam down on his head. Throh barely had time to turn its head to look before being hit by a powerful stream of bubbles. A blue outline briefly ran down Throh's body, indicating that the Fighting-Type's Speed had been lowered by the Bubble attack.

Montgomery swore under his breath as he called out his next move.

"Use Seismic Toss!"

Throh whipped around with frightening speed and dove at Manaphy, arms outstretched and ready to grab the little Seafaring Pokémon.

But May wasn't about to let that happen.

"Manaphy, slow him down with Psychic and dodge it!"

"Phi!" Manaphy acknowledged, turning his attention back to Throh. Suddenly, a faint aura surrounded Throh and brought it to a complete stop in mid-air.

"Th-thro!" the Judo Pokémon grunted as it flailed its arms, still trying in vain to grab its Water-Type opponent.

Taking the initiative to counterattack, Manaphy ducked underneath Throh and combined Psychic with Bubble Beam. The resulting combo created a geyser of bubbles that forcefully launched Throh straight up into the air.

"Great job, Manaphy! I see you've learned a new combo," May said, grinning proudly at her son.

"Mana! Mana-phi!" Manaphy answered, nodding his head and smiling.

Meanwhile, Throh was hurtling towards the ground. Montgomery knew he had to do something _quick_, or risk having Throh take serious damage.

"Throh, use Body Slam!" he shouted suddenly.

Throh quickly regained its composure and put its fists underneath it, intending to crash down on Manaphy from above.

"Manaphy, dodge it! Quickly!" May ordered urgently, realizing what was happening.

Manaphy sidestepped the plummeting Pokémon, avoiding it by mere inches. Throh managed to break its fall, not taking serious damage and still battle-ready.

"Manaphy, use Ice Beam!" May called.

"Dodge and use Power-Up Punch!" Montgomery countered.

Throh quickly dodged away from the incoming Ice Beam attack as both of its fists began to glow orange.

"Manaphy, get ready to combine Ice Beam and Bubble," May said.

Manaphy nodded, but remained focused on Throh as the Fighting-Type Pokémon came charging towards him, fists raised.

Manaphy was preparing to use his combo, but was interrupted before he could execute it as he quickly had to dodge away from the Judo Pokémon's furious punches.

"Keep using Power-Up Punch until it connects!" Montgomery instructed.

For several moments, Manaphy was in continuous motion, weaving in and out and darting away from Throh's relentless onslaught of punches.

"Come on, Manaphy! You're doing great!" Ash cheered from the stands.

"Pika-pika! Pika-pi!" Pikachu agreed.

"Keep at it, Manaphy! Don't slow down!" Iris urged.

Refusing to back down, Manaphy determinedly continued dodging punch after punch. Although he was growing tired, Manaphy could tell that Throh was growing tired as well; the Fighting-Type's punches were starting to slow down.

Finally, the Seafaring Pokémon found an opening and managed to slip away from Throh to a safe distance. Throh, although breathing heavily from the effort of using so many Power-Up Punches, began to advance towards Manaphy as Montgomery issued his final order.

"Throh, use Superpower!"

With a grunt of acknowledgement, Throh rushed at Manaphy with arms outstretched and hands open.

_Come on, come on…_ May thought, waiting for just the right moment.

Finally, just as Throh was about to grab hold of Manaphy, May made her move.

"Now! Ice Beam-Bubble combo!" May exclaimed.

"Ma-na-phi!" the Seafaring Pokémon cheered, unleashing a stream of frozen ice bubbles at point-blank range.

The powerful jet of hailstones stopped Throh in its tracks, knocking the Judo Pokémon onto its back.

Manaphy ceased fire as Throh struggled to get up. Montgomery was preparing to give another command, when Throh finally collapsed.

He was down.

And the tournament was over.

"Throh is unable to continue! The winner of the Clubsplosion tournament is May!"

The deafening cheers from the crowd reverberated throughout the stadium as May was declared the winner. Manaphy joyfully jumped into May's open arms as she wrapped the little Pokémon in a hug.

"I knew you could do it, Manaphy! You did incredibly!" May cried happily, giving Manaphy a kiss on the cheek.

"Mama and Manaphy win!" the young Pokémon cheered in response. "Happy!"

Grinning from ear to ear, they each raised an arm high into the air in a victorious gesture. Suddenly, May felt her feet leave the ground as she was scooped up by a strong pair of arms. She didn't even have to look to see whose arms they were. She just smiled as she reached up and put her arms around her raven-haired lover's neck as he spoke.

"Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful."

"Me, or my performance?"

"Both. Mostly you," Ash replied with a wink and a grin, setting her down as Manaphy jumped onto Ash's shoulder and gave him a hug.

Smiling slightly, Montgomery came over and shook May's hand and congratulated her on her victory.

"Thanks!" May said. "You and Throh were great, too! You guys put up one heck of a fight."

"Thanks. I'm just surprised you managed to win without taking any hits. That's not easy to do against Throh and me," Montgomery replied. "The next time we battle, though, don't count on such an easy victory. Until then, congratulations. You've earned it."

"May, please step forward to claim your prize!" Don George said as he approached, carrying a large case. May stepped forward as he opened the case, revealing dozens of large, smooth stones. Beneath each stone was a label, identifying which Pokémon it was for. May's eyes scanned the labels, looking for any that could be used by one of her Pokémon.

_Altarianite, Audinite, Diancite, Heracronite, Garchompite…_

Suddenly, one caught her attention.

"I'll take that one," she said, pointing towards the stone labeled "Blazikenite".

"Blazikenite it is, then!" Don George said, handing her the Mega Stone, a smaller but similar Key Stone, and a Mega Bracelet. He gave her brief instructions on how to use them.

"Wear the Key Stone in your Mega Bracelet, like so," he said, inserting the Key Stone into the bracelet. "Have your Pokémon hold or wear the Mega Stone, and you'll be able to activate it and use Mega Evolution in battle."

"Thank you," May said, accepting the items.

The group departed from the stadium a few minutes later, eager to continue their journey and now with a powerful new item at their disposal.

An item which would ultimately turn out to be a lifesaver for them in the not-so-distant future.

/-/-/

_Meanwhile, somewhere in the Hoenn region…_

'A minor setback,' they said. 'The team is still alive and kicking,' they said.

_Bullshit_, the man thought bitterly, shaking his head. He'd been on the front lines, fighting the good fight for so long, only for the team to be undermined at the last second-!

The man sighed sadly, sitting back and turning on the T.V. He had nothing else to do these days. He was nothing more than a soldier without a war, devoted to a cause that was all but defeated.

"And to top it all off, there's never anything decent to watch," he grumbled to himself as he began flipping through the channels.

Another cooking show? Yawn.

A reality show about some celebrity whose name he neither knew nor cared about? Boring.

Some girl and a Sea Guardian winning a battle tournament? Not interest-

Wait.

"Wait just one Arceus-damned minute," the man blurted out loud, flipping back through the channels.

There.

There was no mistaking it. The blue-and-yellow Pokémon displayed on the screen was a Sea Guardian. The _Legendary_ one. And the person holding it looked familiar.

The wheels began turning in the man's head as he hastily checked the T.V. listings. If this was happening live, he needed to know where it was.

There. Unova.

Rushing over to his outdated landline phone, the man quickly punched in the number of one of his former associates. He waited impatiently as he heard the phone ring on the other end.

_Come on… pick up, already!_ he thought frantically. Finally, an unhappy voice grumbled into the other end.

"Mike, is that you?" the man hurriedly asked. The voice on the other end slurred an affirmative reply as the man quickly continued.

"Alright, listen. I… I don't care what time it is over there… dammit, shut up and listen! This is important! I just found exactly what we need to get the team back on its feet… No, this time it's for real… Yeah, I'm sure… I'll fill you in on the details later, but right now I need you to call the boss and have him contact me… I don't… If I knew where to reach him, I wouldn't be asking _you_ to do it, asshole! … Alright, alright, just get it done!"

Annoyed, the man slammed the phone back onto the receiver and pressed his fingers to the sides of his head.

_Incompetent bastard_, he thought discontentedly. _How that clown managed to outrank me, I'll never know._

But none of that was important right now. He turned back to the television screen, a satisfied smile on his face. It was perfect. Maybe their first attempt at utilizing a Legendary had failed, but not this time.

_This_ time, it could be easily contained.

Easily controlled.

Easily manipulated.

Thoughts of a glorious new world raced through his head as he stared at the A-shaped skull-and-crossbones tattoo on his arm.

Soon, that symbol would come to mean something again.

* * *

**The plot thickens!**

**Now that this little three-parter is out of the way, I can get things moving along a bit faster.**

**As always, reviews and suggestions are always welcome. Any ideas or characters you might like to see are also welcome, and I'll probably accept them if I can find a way to work them into the story. No OCs, though. Please.**

**Until next time! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

* * *

Chapter 9: Enemies from the Past and Visions of the Future

"My feet are killing me!" May groaned, sitting down and rubbing the soles of her feet.

"Mine, too," Cilan said, collapsing beside her.

"Ash, let's face it; we're lost. We're exhausted. And we've been walking in circles for hours," Iris huffed between breaths, before slumping to the ground beside the other two. The group had set out from the base of Twist Mountain early that morning, hoping to reach the other side by noon. But now, with night fast approaching, it looked like they would have to spend the night on the mountain.

Ash's enthusiasm, however, remained undimmed.

"C'mon, guys! Where's your spirit?" he exclaimed. "It can't be much farther. We can do better than thi-AAAGH!"

Ash's attempt to boost morale was cut shockingly short by a rather disgruntled Pikachu.

"Pika-pika, pika-chu! Pi-ka!" the Mouse Pokémon grumbled unhappily.

"Aw, what're you complaining about? You haven't even had to walk!" Ash retorted.

Pikachu responded with another electrifyingly persuasive argument, amping up the voltage slightly.

"...Okay, okay, so we're lost," Ash admitted, coughing out smoke. "But that just gives us all the more reason to keep going! We can't get held up here."

"Ash, none of us can walk another step tonight," May replied. "We'll just have to camp out here tonight."

"But..."

"Papaaa. Want sleeeeeep," Manaphy whined, fighting to keep his eyes open as May held him in her lap.

"Ax-ew-ew," Axew agreed, already half-asleep.

"Look, the Pokémon are exhausted too," Iris said.

"...Alright, we'll camp out here for tonight," Ash conceded. "But we'll be starting early tomorrow, so..." Ash trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished as he noticed that everyone had already fallen asleep.

Sighing to himself, Ash settled into his sleeping bag and tried to get comfortable. Something was bothering him, however. It was more than just his usual zeal that had made him want to press on, made him so reluctant to stay on the mountain for the night. He had a nagging suspicion that they were not alone on the mountain.

Ash slowly drifted into an uneasy sleep, not realizing that his suspicion was entirely correct.

They were not alone on the mountain.

Not by a long shot.

/-/-/

Ash found himself in darkness. The pale moonlight illuminated his surroundings just enough for him to make out the shapes of trees. Hundreds of trees.

_A... forest?_ he thought. _Where the hell am I? How did I get here?_

"Pikachu, how did we... Pikachu? Pikachu!"

Ash's Electric-Type companion was nowhere to be seen. For that matter, no one was.

_Great. I wake up in a forest, alone, with no memory of how I got here. Fantastic._

The utter silence felt heavy and oppressive. It was not a peaceful silence; it was a tense, expectant silence. The calm that precedes the storm.

"ASH!"

The sound of May's voice, filled with panic, made Ash jump.

"Ash! Help!"

"May? May! Where are you?!"

Without another thought, Ash took off running, following the sound of May's voice. He didn't have a plan, he didn't know what he was up against. But he knew May needed help.

"Ash, help! Please!"

"May! I'm coming! Stay where you are!"

Ash blasted through the forest as fast as he could, twigs and broken branches whipping against him as he ran. He thought he could see a clearing ahead, and he sprinted towards it.

Ash burst from the tree line – and nearly ran off the edge of a cliff that had appeared before him.

"Whoa, shit!" he exclaimed, stopping just in time and peering over the edge. Hundreds of feet below him, the ocean surf pounded against the face of the cliff.

Ash could no longer hear May's cries for help, but they were replaced by another sound. A sort of mechanical grinding and whirring, coming from below. As Ash continued to watch, he could faintly see a massive, dark shape moving just below the surface of the water. As it approached the surface, Ash thought he could see what appeared to be a glowing symbol emblazoned on it. He couldn't quite make out what the symbol was, but it felt familiar somehow. As though he should know what it was, but couldn't quite put his finger on it...

Ash was so focused on whatever it was moving beneath the waves, he hardly noticed as thick smoke slowly began to fill his vision.

Ash turned around to find that the forest had become a blazing inferno. Flames leapt at him as the fire advanced. Ash reflexively took a step back – and stepped right off the cliff. Down he fell, plummeting straight towards the water, straight towards whatever that monstrous _thing_ was that was waiting for him...

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Ash screamed, sitting upright in his sleeping bag - only to take a face full of water from Manaphy's Surf attack, clearly intended to wake him up.

"What... how... where...!" Ash stammered, looking around at the concerned faces of his friends before burying his face in his hands.

_Just a dream_, he thought. _Thank Arceus, it was just a dream_.

"Ash, you poor thing!" May exclaimed, taking his hands in hers. "You must have been having one awful nightmare!"

"You've been screaming like that for the past ten minutes," Cilan added. "We tried to wake you up, but you were out cold."

"Seriously, what on earth were you dreaming about?" Iris asked.

"Pi-ka-pi?" Pikachu asked as well, concerned for his trainer.

Ash started to speak, but hesitated.

_It was just a dream, right? _he thought.

And yet, it felt like more than just a dream. All of it felt completely real.

"It... was nothing, really," Ash finally said. "Just a bad dream. Nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Just, go back to sleep."

Ash's assurances did little to assuage the concerns of his friends, but they nonetheless took him at his word and returned to their sleeping bags.

Ash rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but something was nagging at him. He couldn't get his mind off the dream he'd had. It felt like an incomplete memory, as though he were missing something about it that should've been obvious.

_Just stop thinking about it!_ he mentally scolded himself. _It was just a stupid dream, nothing more._

Try as he might, though, Ash couldn't quite bring himself to believe that.

/-/-/

The next morning, everyone slept late due to how exhausted they were the night before. After a quick breakfast, the group set out. Ash led the way, but remained unusually quiet. The others noticed this.

"Ash? You okay?" Iris asked.

"Hmm... what? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Ash responded, not looking back.

"Are you sure?"

"I said I'm fine!" Ash replied, a little more roughly than he had intended. "I... sorry, sorry. I just... didn't get much sleep last night. I'm a little on edge."

The subject was dropped, even though everyone could tell there was more to it than what Ash claimed.

Meanwhile, Ash had become lost in his own thoughts. He was still trying to figure out what his dream meant. The more he thought about it, the more it reminded him of something else; May's dream about Manaphy and the Sea Temple the night before Manaphy was born.

It was back in Kanto that Ash, Brock, May, and Max had stumbled upon the travelling circus based around Water-Type Pokémon, owned by Lizabeth and her family. Along with an undercover Jack Walker, they were transporting Manaphy's egg. May had caught a few quick glimpses of it, but it was enough. That night, she had a vivid dream of meeting Manaphy and seeing the Temple of the Sea. The very next day, Manaphy was born, and the rest was history.

_May had seen the future in her dream_, Ash thought. _Could this be anything like that?_

Eventually, the group stopped for a lunch break. Ash sat apart from the others, barely touching his food as he remained deep in thought.

May came over and sat down next to Ash. His strange behavior was really making her worry. She _had_ to get to the bottom of it.

"Ash?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Ash... what's been bothering you so much?"

Ash turned to May. Seeing the concerned look she was giving him, he sighed. Dwelling on his dream wasn't getting him anywhere, so he figured he might as well talk about it.

So he did. He opened up to May, telling her all about his dream and how he couldn't figure it out. May listened with rapt attention, realizing how deeply Ash's dream had affected him.

"So you think you might have been seeing the future?" May asked once Ash was finished explaining.

"Maybe. I dunno. It just... doesn't make sense. Nothing about it makes any sense!" Ash replied, frustrated. "All I know is that if anything ever happened to you, I... I..." Ash turned his face away, unable to finish.

"Ash, _nothing_ is going to happen to me," May assured him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"But..."

"Ash," May said again, cutting him off, "...even if you're right, even if you did see into the future, it doesn't _have_ to turn out that way! In fact, it gives us an advantage; now that we know ahead of time what might happen, we can we can take extra measures to avoid it."

"...I guess I hadn't thought about it like that," Ash replied. In reality, he had thought about it like that, and it did little to allay his concerns. Ash was still full of doubt, but didn't see the point in getting the others, especially May, all worked up over nothing.

After lunch, the group continued onwards through the mountain. They eventually found themselves at the entrance to a cave. As they entered, Ash was the first one to notice the sounds coming from deeper in.

"Anyone else hear that?" he asked.

Everyone fell silent, straining their ears to listen. The sound was faint at first, but began to get louder the farther into the cave they went. It was unmistakably the sound of metal against rock. A sort of grinding, drilling sound.

"What the...?" Iris wondered.

"It sounds like it's coming from just around the corner," May noted.

The group rounded the corner and, when they began to hear voices, ducked down and hid behind some large stalagmites. As the sound of machines began to die down, the gang could hear the machine's operators talking.

"...unbelievable. We don't hear anything for months, and then they decide to call us up out of the blue. We were on _vacation_, dammit!"

"Which is exactly why they sent us. We were closest. It would take a few days to get anyone else over here."

"Right, yeah. Because this stupid rock the boss wants couldn't wait a day or two. I guess it was gonna sprout legs and walk away, huh?"

"It's a _fossil_, not a rock, smartass. And we've almost got it, so quit whining."

The group exchanged glances as the sound of drilling resumed. Overtaken by curiosity, they slowly peeked out from behind their hiding place.

From their vantage point, the four could see a wheeled machine with a large drill attached. The drill was hard at work, cutting through the layers of rock that formed the cave wall. As Iris and Cilan observed the drill, May and Ash got a good look at the operators themselves.

And it took everything they had not to yell out in surprise.

The machine was being controlled by two men, dressed in striped shirts and blue pants, with blue bandanas wrapped around their heads. And on each bandana was a white skull-and-crossbones symbol, arranged roughly in the shape of an "A".

Team Aqua.

Ash and May immediately ducked back into cover before motioning for the others to do the same. The two trainers stared at each other wordlessly, thoughts racing through their heads.

_How was it possible? Why was Team Aqua in Unova? What the everloving HELL?!_

"Guys? What's wrong?" Iris whispered, jarring them from their state of shock.

"We... uh...we've dealt with these guys... before. They're bad news," Ash responded. "They raised hell for us back in Hoenn, but they were defeated. I didn't think they were still around."

"Who are they, anyway?" Cilan asked.

"Team Aqua," May replied. "A criminal organization, just like Team Rocket. They wanted to flood the world by using the Legendary Pokémon Kyogre before another criminal team, Team Magma, used the Pokémon Groudon against them. Long story short, they fought and neither side won. But it looks like they're back in action."

The group fell silent again as the sound of the drill cut off.

"About damn time," one of the Aqua grunts said. "Prep the machine."

As the group shifted their position to get a better view, they were able to see the machine the grunt was referring to. It appeared to be a medium-sized glass cylinder filled with an orange liquid. It was attached to a wheeled machine, which had a control panel and several knobs and levers. The group could also see the fossil the grunt was carrying, which was grey and resembled a turtle shell.

"That must be some kind of revival machine," May whispered. Ash nodded, but kept his eyes forward as the Team Aqua members placed the fossil in the liquid-filled cylinder and began using the control panel, turning knobs, and pulling levers.

The liquid began to bubble and change color as the machine emitted a low humming noise. The fossil inside the cylinder appeared to be moving and changing shape, obscured by the now-murky liquid. After a few moments, the liquid grew clear again, revealing a Pokémon in the place of the fossil.

The small black-and-blue turtle-like Pokémon appeared to be asleep or otherwise unconscious. Its most noticeable feature was its large black shell, which had six round indents on the back. After a minute or two, it slowly opened its eyes and began looking around sleepily.

One of the Aqua grunts grabbed it and roughly pulled it out of the cylinder, scaring it and causing it to attack with a Hydro Pump attack which knocked over the grunt holding it. It then leapt from his arms and attempted to flee.

"Quit screwing around! Get up and catch it!" the other grunt barked.

"_You_ catch it, asshole!" his partner snapped back.

Meanwhile, Ash and the gang continued to watch, unsure of what to do.

"Well, one thing's for sure: we can't just stand here and do nothing," Ash whispered.

"Agreed," May replied. "Whatever they're up to, I don't like it."

Quickly exchanging nods of agreement, the group rushed out from their hiding place and put themselves between the Team Aqua members and the turtle-like Pokémon they were chasing, which dove behind Ash's legs and retreated into its shell.

"Who the... where the hell did _you_ come from?" one of the grunts demanded. "Get out of the way!"

None of the four trainers moved an inch. Instead, each produced a Pokéball and released its occupant. The two Team Aqua grunts quickly found themselves face-to-face with an Excadrill, a Crustle, a Blaziken, and a Krokorok.

The grunts backed away before each taking out two Pokéballs to match the four Pokémon they were now faced with.

"Alright, if that's the way you want to play it," one of the grunts said, before throwing his Pokéballs. "Absol! Mightyena! Come on out!"

The two Dark-Type Pokémon appeared, ready for battle as the second grunt threw his own Pokéballs.

"Muk! Carvanha! Get ready!"

The Poison and Water-Types emerged from their Pokéballs and stood at attention.

For a moment the two groups stared each other down, neither making the first move. Then the moment passed, and all hell broke loose.

"Blaziken, use Blaze Kick!"

"Absol, use Night Slash!"

"Crustle, use Rock Wrecker!"

"Muk, use Gunk Shot!"

Attacks flew left and right, with neither side prepared to back down. Soon, however, it became clear that the two Aqua grunts were outmatched.

"Krokorok, use Dig on Mightyena!" Ash commanded, as his Desert Croc Pokémon burrowed into the ground and headed towards the opposing Bite Pokémon.

"Dodge it, Mightyena, and counter with Crunch!"

As Mightyena went on the defensive, May caught him off-guard with Blaziken's Sky Uppercut, which weakened him enough that Krokorok's Dig attack was sufficient to bring him down.

"Shit!" the Aqua grunt snarled. "Absol, use Slash on Krokorok!"

"Carvanha, use Aqua Jet on Blaziken!" the other grunt ordered.

The two Pokémon carried out their respective orders, with Absol managing to land a hit on Krokorok and successfully dodge a counterattack by Excadrill. Carvanha also managed to hit its target, but was knocked out a moment later by Crustle's X-Scissor.

"Absol, use-" But before the grunt could finish issuing his command, a glowing ball of energy struck his Dark-Type Disaster Pokémon, knocking it out. It took everyone a minute to realize that the attack had come from the turtle-like fossil Pokémon from earlier, which now stood in front of Ash's group and glared defiantly at the men who had tried to capture it.

With all of their Pokémon out cold, the two Team Aqua members had no choice but to retreat.

"Oh, you brats are gonna pay for this, you'll _pay_!" one of the grunts shouted as he and his partner took off towards the other end of the cave.

"Should we go after them?" Iris asked.

"No need. Whatever they were doing, we've put a stop to it for now," May replied. "Still, I wonder what they wanted this Pokémon for," she added looking at the blue turtle-shelled creature.

"Me too. I'm still not even sure which Pokémon this is," Ash responded, taking out his Pokédex and aiming it at the Pokémon.

_***Tirtouga, the Prototurtle Pokémon. Tirtouga can dive underwater to half-mile depths, and can also attack onshore.***_

When Ash put the Pokédex away and looked back at the Pokémon, it was looking up at him with an expression of gratitude. It slowly crawled over to him and gently nudged his leg with its head.

"I think it wants to come with you," Cilan commented.

Ash smiled at the small Pokémon and knelt down to stroke its head.

"Is that what you want? To come with me?"

The Pokémon happily nodded its head, smiling back at the young trainer.

Ash wasted no time in breaking out a Pokéball and tapping the prehistoric Pokémon on the head with it. Tirtouga went right in and, after two shakes, the ball sounded the telltale click confirming that the Prototurtle Pokémon was caught.

"Yes! I caught a Tirtouga!" Ash cheered, doing a fist pump.

"Pi-ka-chu!" Pikachu also cheered.

"Ma-naaa-phi!" Manaphy exclaimed excitedly, happy to have a new playmate.

"Talk about lucky," Cilan said. "You've got a Pokémon that doesn't even _exist_ anymore, except from fossils."

"Any chance I could talk you into letting me use it in a contest or two?" May asked hopefully.

"With a bit of convincing, I'm sure that could be arranged," Ash smirked.

"That shouldn't be difficult. I can be very... _persuasive_," May responded suggestively, wrapping her arms around Ash's neck.

"You certainly can be," Ash replied with a sly smile.

"Ugh... come on, guys. Either get a room or start walking," Iris huffed, annoyed.

And so, the group set off with one more Pokémon added to the team. But as they left Twist Mountain, Ash thought back to his dream the night before, and made a worrying realization.

The strange, vaguely familiar symbol he had seen was Team Aqua's symbol.

Which meant that, whatever his future held, Team Aqua would be a part of it.

* * *

**Surprise, surprise, this story isn't dead yet!**

**Sorry I kept you guys waiting for so long. A LOT has been happening with me since the last update, between work and college I just haven't had the time or motivation to write. I know that's not a good excuse to take more than a YEAR to get a single chapter written. I'll try not to make you guys wait, just don't expect me to update as frequently as I used to.**

**Either way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! As always, please leave reviews (good or bad), and I'll see you next chapter! :)**


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